A New Adventure
by xXxRavenXDameonxXx
Summary: Happy in ThunderClan, Leafpool and Crowfeather have found their peace.  And now it's their kits' turn.  Each with their own strengths and personalities, as well as views on how to go about obtaining peace, this is THEIR story.
1. Emberkit's Dream

Side note~! This is a somewhat continuation of my Leafpool X Crowfeather Story(: Enjoy!

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><p>Soft silver mist swirled around a small tortoiseshell, not even an apprentice yet.<p>

"Don't be frightened…" The young kit turned at the soft, sweet voice. "I'm not going to hurt you…"

She looked up to see a pretty tortoiseshell padding towards her through the mist. "You're Emberkit, aren't you? I'm Spottedleaf. I was the Medicine Cat of ThunderClan long before your mother… Back when Firestar was still just an apprentice…" Her amber eyes glowed as she spoke of their current leader.

"Really…?" Emberkit gazed up at her through wide blue eyes, bright with wonder. "Then… You're a StarClan cat, aren't you?"

Spottedleaf purred. "Yes, that's correct little kit… I'm here to watch over you…"

Emberkit blinked. _Watch over me…? But why me? I'm not fast, like Hollykit, or strong like Eaglekit… And Lilykit already knows a perfect hunting crouch…!_

The StarClan warrior let out a soft mrrow of amusement, before bending to lick the kit-soft fur between Emberkit's ears. "Worry not, Emberkit… You face a hard path, and there are dark times ahead… But StarClan will walk beside you… I will walk beside you, every step of the way…"

Emberkit looked up at the starry medicine cat. "Dark times…? But everything has been so peaceful…" The kit looked down, kneading the ground with small front paws.

Spottedleaf gave that tiny tortoiseshell another gentle lick. "All we be made clear as you grow older, Emberkit… Now, just know that I am here… StarClan will guide you, even through the darkest of nights…"

With that, the mist began to thicken, obscuring the trees, the ground, and the starry tortoiseshell medicine cat along with it. "Wait!" Emberkit mewed desperately. "I don't under-" but the everything was already gone, nothing but a thick silver mist remaining, leaving her alone… "stand…" Emberkit turned her blue eyes towards the sky, blinking in surprise when she saw not more fog, but the midnight sky, swathed with the warriors of Silverpelt, brilliant and shining.

"Even when you cannot see the path ahead of you…" One voice, though it sounded like many. Strong, and warm. "StarClan will guide your paws… Have faith, Emberkit, and we will always walk beside you…"

A warm, comforting crashed over the small kit, her heart sudden;y at peace, her mind clear of worries. She felt safe, and at home, gazing up at the stars of her warrior ancestors…

_StarClan will always be with me…_

She heard a small, soft purr. "Always, little Emberkit…"


	2. Natural

Not sure if I did this in the last Chapter, but credit to Mewskull130 for Hollykit(: Thank-you for the recommendation, and I hope I capture her personality well! So here's Chapter 2~! Enjoy!

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><p>Emberkit woke with a start, paws still tingling from her dream. <em>StarClan is with me…<em> She sat up with a small yawn, noticing that her mother and her siblings were still sleeping. Stepping carefully around their sleeping forms, the small tortoiseshell managed to slip out of the nursery like a mouse, no one else even stirring. Once outside, the small she-cat stretched, pushing her small forepaws out in front of her.

"Emberkit, what are you doing up so early…?"

Emberkit jumped, then turned to see Puddlekit sliding out of the nursery behind her.

"Oh, it's just you…" She mewed quietly, afraid that it could have been the pale gray kit's brother, Tanglekit, who would have either jumped her into a play-fight (which he would have easily won) or woken up the whole camp and then gotten her in trouble with her mother for sneaking out.

Puddlekit purred in amusement. "Yeah, it's just me. Tanglekit's still sleeping."

Emberkit sighed. "I had a dream…" She admitted quietly to the older kit. Puddlekit tilted his head, blue eyes curious. "You did?"

Emberkit nodded, looking down shyly. "It felt like it held some kind of… Meaning… I just can't figure out what it is…"

Puddlekit paused for a moment, before continuing. "You know," he began, giving the younger kit an understanding-if not still amused- look. "I bet if you were to tell Cinderpelt, she could help you figure it out."

The young tortoiseshell brightened. "Really?"

Puddlekit chuckled. "Yeah, you know where her den is, right? Just go ahead. Dreams mean a lot to medicine cats, you know."

With a quick mew of "Thanks, Puddlekit!" Emberkit was off, padding across the clearing towards the medicine den.

_Surely Mother can't get mad at me for wanting to talk to Cinderpelt, right…?_

"And just where are _you_ going, Emberkit…?"

The small kit froze in midstep, feeling her ears and tail droop as she looked up to see not Puddlekit this time, but the darker, smoky gray pelt of her father.

Scuffling her paws, Emberkit managed a small mew of, "The medicine den…"

Crowfeather let out a soft purr as he leaned down to rasp his tongue over his smallest daughter's ear. "You're not in trouble, Emberkit." He meowed, shaking his head.

"I'm not…?" She glanced up at him again, and he leaned down to touch their noses together. "No, silly… Now if you're going to bug Cinderpelt before the sun's even all the way out, you better bring her a piece of fresh-kill."

"Oh, okay!" Emberkit mewed, whirling back around and hopping over to the fresh-kill pile. Crowfeather followed, always keeping a close eye on the tiny kit. "Do you think a mouse will be okay? Or maybe a big water vole…"

"Go with the water vole." Leafpool's voice came from the nursery, where she was only just emerging, stretching much like Emberkit had before padding over to join them. "Cinderpelt has a weakness to water vole."

Crowfeather purred in amusement, and Emberkit nodded, selecting the fattest, juiciest water vole she could find before stumbling off towards the medicine den- the vole almost too big for the small tortoiseshell to carry.

When she finally reached the medicine den, she slid through the entrance only to bump into ThunderClan's medicine cat on her way out.

"Oh!" Cinderpelt looked down at the kit, blue eyes suddenly sparking. "Is that for me, Emberkit?"

Emberkit nodded, depositing the prey at the older cat's paws. "I wanted to talk to you, and Father said that if I was going to come and bother you before the sun was even all the way up that I should bring you some fresh-kill…"

Cinderpelt's whiskers twitched in amusement. "And he's absolutely right! Bring that on in, Emberkit, I was sorting some herbs, after I eat that up we can talk."

With another nod, Emberkit picked up the vole again, following the gray medicine cat back into her den. The young tortoiseshell sighed as she entered, dropping the vole to inhale the soothing aroma of all the herbs. Cinderpelt neatly tucked into the water vole, finishing it in quick, clean bites. "That's just what I needed." She purred quietly. "Now what did you need to talk to me about, Emberkit?" Cinderpelt turned back to her stack of herbs as she spoke, sorting out the bad from the good, and dividing them into the herbs she would use separately, and those she would use to mix other poultices.

"Well," Emberkit began quietly. "I had a dream."

The medicine cat's ears pricked, and she turned back to look at the little kit. "Oh?"

Emberkit nodded. "Yeah… And I felt… It just felt like it had some kind of meaning…"

Cinderpelt paused, gazing thoughtfully at the young kit. "And what was this dream about?"

"Well, first all I could see was a lot of fog, but then it started to clear, and I could see trees and grass… And there was a cat there, too. Well, not just any cat. She said her name was Spottedleaf, and that she was the medicine cat of ThunderClan long before my mother… Can you believe that?" She looked up at Cinderpelt with shining blue eyes. "I had a dream with a StarClan warrior in it…!"

Cinderpelt purred softly, before giving her a nod to continue. "Go on…"

"And… She told me that she was here to watch over me, and that 'I faced a hard path' and that there are 'dark times ahead'…" She trailed off with a shiver, before brightening up again. "And she told me that she-and StarClan- would walk beside me. That 'even when I cannot see the path ahead of me, StarClan will guide my paws'." Finished with the story, she looked back up at Cinderpelt, who looked thoughtful.

"It's very interesting that StarClan would choose to visit you, Emberkit… That makes you very special. Was there anything else?" Emberkit shook her head, then nodded.

"Kind of." She mewed. "Just… After that, I felt really warm, and comforted."

Cinderpelt nodded. "I think that was the meaning of the dream." Emberkit tilted her head. "StarClan wants you to know that they're guiding your steps, that they are watching over you."

Emberkit tilted her head. "But doesn't StarClan watch over every one?"

"Yes." Cinderpelt agreed. "But sometimes, they like to keep a close eye on a few… Like Firestar, for example. His paws were guided by StarClan as well, and you see how great he ended up, eh?" She flicked the young kit with her tail. "The true meaning is for _you_ to decide though, Emberkit. Who knows, maybe you'll have another dream. One that will help you figure out the meaning of the first."

Emberkit nodded, head reeling. _Does that mean I'm going to be Clan leader…? No… That's not… I don't want to be a leader… I'm not as strong as Firestar, or as clever…_ Shaking her head of the thought, Emberkit observed what Cinderpelt was doing, interest sparking. "Is there anything I can do to help…?"

Cinderpelt glanced at her curiously, before nodding. "Certainly. Here, why don't you help me sort through this pile. These are juniper berries. Now what are these?"

Emberkit looked up at the medicine cat. "Juniper berries."

"Good. Now the one's that look like this? These are bad. Put those in this pile, those are the ones I'll throw out later. Put all of the good ones on this leaf, and we'll wrap them up and put them back into storage, okay?"

Emberkit nodded. "Okay!"'

Cinderpelt gave the kit a playful nudge with her paw. "And what are these again?"

Emberkit purred in amusement, looking up at Cinderpelt with shining blue eyes. It felt so natural… "Juniper berries!"

"Right. Good job, Emberkit."

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><p>Alright, that's Chapter 2! Next Chapter will probably switch POVs, so… cha… lol. So what do you guys think so far? Worth continuing or no? What do you think of Emberkit? Review, please! And as always, any advice is welcome! I'd love to know how to improve my writing(: Byez!<p> 


	3. Ready For Apprenticeship!

Chapter 3!

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><p>Eaglekit woke with a start, blinking dark amber eyes blearily as he woke up from his nightmare. <em>What a scary dream… I've never seen so many cats fighting before…<em>

"Eaglekit! Are you awake?"

The dark, smoky gray kit looked around to see his sister, Lilykit, looking at him. He nodded.

"So am I." Hollykit mewed, standing and stretching. "Where's Emberkit?"

Lilykit shrugged. "Don't know. But I think Mother's outside. Maybe she'll take us out of the camp to play today!"

Hollykit brightened at the suggestion, Eaglekit nodded, sinking tiny claws into the moss of their shared nest. "Yeah, let's go ask!"

Mission set, the three siblings made their way out of the nursery, careful not to disturb Sorreltail, who was still sleeping. Outside, they saw the older kits, Puddlekit and Tanglekit play-fighting, claws carefully sheathed—but only barely. Leafpool and Crowfeather were a few fox-lenghts away, sharing a plump rabbit.

"Eaglekit!" The gray tom looked up, seeing that Tanglekit had pinned his ashy gray brother beneath him, tail curling in victory. "You'll never guess what we just heard!"

Eaglekit approached the brothers cautiously as the bigger ginger kit let Puddlekit up. "What…?"

Puddlekit purred. "We're going to be apprenticed soon!"

"Tomorrow, to be exact." Tanglekit added smugly, swiping his tongue across his paw before rubbing said paw over his ear. "And then you'll be the only kits left." The flame-colored tom was taunting him, and he knew it.

Trying to ignore the way the bigger tom was sliding into a hunting crouch, Eaglekit rolled his eyes. "We're only a few moons younger than you." He pointed out, tail-tip twitching as he noticed the look the long-legged ginger kit was giving him.

"Come on, Eaglekit!" He glanced back at his sisters, making the final mistake. As soon as the younger kits amber eyes were off of him, Tanglekit pounced, easily bowling the almost-black hit over.

"Hey!" Eaglekit objected, taken off guard by the sneak attack. Struggling, Eaglekit felt his instincts taking over, squirming until Tanglekit had him "pinned" on his stomach, head raised triumphantly. The smaller kit went completely limp, forcing all of his muscles to relax._ You're big and strong, Tanglekit, but are you clever?_ Eaglekit could already feel victory in his paws.

"Aw, lay off, Tanglekit, that wasn't fair and you know it." Puddlekit sighed, head tilted at his brother's antics.

Tanglekit purred in amusement. "Whatever, Puddlekit! Check this out, he's given up! OR should I say Puddle_paw_ now?" He let out another _mrrow_ of laughter, and Eaglekit took his chance, tensing every muscle he had in his still kit-soft body and pushing upward, not only clearing the ground, but flinging Tanglekit off as well. With no hesitation what-so-ever, Eaglekit pounced on his stunned "enemy", easily pinning the bigger kit while the breath was knocked out of him. Now Puddlekit was purring in laughter.

"That was a good one, Eaglekit!" He meowed. And then more slyly, "Or should I say Eagle_paw_ now…? I'm not sure if I want to be apprenticed next to someone who lost to an opponent half their size."

"Oh, get off!" Tanglekit huffed, pushing Eaglekit aside to stand up, before shaking the dust off of his ginger pelt. Reluctantly, and grudgingly, Tanglekit admitted, "That was a pretty good move there at the end, Eaglekit…" And then, "I've got it!"

Puddlekit rolled his eyes, and Eaglekit purred with amusement.

Tanglekit seemed not to notice, continuing with his latest plan. "The three of US will become apprentices, and we'll leave the little she-kits in the nursery to learn how to be queens, like they should!"

Puddlekit purred. "I wouldn't say that in front of Squirrelflight if I was you!"

Eaglekit nodded his agreement, before another impatient call from his sister sent him scurrying. "I'll see you two later!" He called over his shoulder, hurrying over to his siblings in parents.

"We want to go _out_ of the camp to play!" Lilykit was insisting as Eaglekit approached. Hollykit had settled down next to their father, her light gray fur standing out against his almost black pelt, while her darker, black, tabby-patterned stripes blended in, icy blue eyes as gentle and calm as ever.

"It sounds like fun." She agreed, looking up at her father.

Crowfeather's ear twitched. "And what is there outside of camp that's so interesting, hm? I can promise you that the sand on this side of the thorn barrier is just as sandy as the sand on the other side of thorn barrier."

"But we can't catch _mice_ in the center of the camp!" Lilykit objected indignantly.

"Catching mice is for apprentices to do." Leafpool mewed, looking from the rabbit they were sharing.

"We'll be apprentices soon." Eaglekit pointed out, looking hopefully up at his parents.

"You still have a few moons to go, there, Eaglekit." Crowfeather contradicted. "If I remember correctly, it's Tanglekit and Puddlekit that are being apprenticed tomorrow, not _you_."

Hollykit looked up from batting playfully at her father's tail. "Will you be a mentor for one of them…?" She asked curiously, eyes bright.

Crowfeather shrugged. "I don't know. There are plenty of other warriors that don't have apprentices right now that Firestar could choose from… Like the clan deputy." Crowfeather dipped his head in respect as Brambleclaw approached, dark tabby fur gleaming in the sunlight.

"I suppose I'll have to take one of them, won't I?"

Crowfeather nodded. "I would assume so, since technically the deputy is supposed to have had an apprentice before being promoted." He flicked his tail against his friend's flank. "Don't worry, Brambleclaw. She'll trust you again eventually. Maybe mentoring one of her kits is a way to get there."

"I guess…" The tabby warrior sighed. "I'm glad you came to ThunderClan, Crowfeather…" He meowed quietly. "I just wish the others would open their eyes and see what an asset you are to the Clan…"

Crowfeather shrugged again. "They will one day. And if not, then it's their own fault." Some of his snappy attitude resurfaced, and Brambleclaw rolled his eyes.

"It's about time for the sunhigh patrol. I want you to come. Grab Brackenfur on your way, will you?" And the deputy turned and left, leaving Crowfeather to stand and stretch. "I guess I'll be going then." He rasped his tongue across Leafpool's ear, and then touched his nose to Hollykit's and Lilykit's in turn, before turning to go.

Eaglekit jumped up. "Can I come?"

Crowfeather looked down at his only son, before shaking his head. "No, Eaglekit. Not yet. Maybe when you're an apprentice. Now go play with your sisters."

Eaglekit felt his heart drop. Tanglekit and Puddlekit weren't that much older than him!

"All right, kits… Let's go…" Leafpool got up, and instantly 3 pairs of eyes- two amber and one icy blue- were on her.

"Go where?" Hollykit piped up curiously.

Leafpool purred in amusement. "To the forest of course. Come on now, stay close to me."

Eaglekit sighed, but followed, forcing himself to cheer up. This would be fun! They had never been outside of the safety of the hollow before.

"What about Emberkit?" He meowed suddenly, looking up at his mother. She flicked her tail on his smoky gray shoulder. "Don't worry about Emberkit." She mewed reassuringly. "She's with Cinderpelt right now, and knowing Cinderpelt the way I do, she's probably put Emberkit to work!"

"Oh…" Eaglekit nodded, and followed his littermates again, soon just as focused and eager to be out of the camp as they were again.

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><p>Eaglekit woke the next morning to the sound of Firestar's summons, and Emberkit yawning quietly beside him. She had spent all day yesterday in the medicine den, and come back late at night, when they were already falling asleep. Eaglekit nudged his smallest sister with his nose, gently getting her attention. "What's Friestar calling for?"<p>

The small tortoiseshell yawned again, before rolling on her back and stretching her paws above her head. When she rolled back over she shrugged. "Well, Tanglekit and Puddlekit were out of here like their tails were on fire, so it's probably their apprentice ceremony."

Eaglekit's ears drooped. "Oh yeah… That's today, isn't it?"

Leafpool answered with a small, "Yes, that's what Firestar's called a meeting for."

Lilykit and Hollykit stirred, and Hollykit yawned before adding, "Can we go watch it?"

Leafpool nodded. "If you can all behave, we'll go."

Lilykit jumped up. "Yeah!" Leafpool purred in amusement, then got up. Come on, then. Let's go." Eaglepaw sighed, But followed, and Emberkit stuck close to him, who even at the same age was easily twice her size.

"Today is a good day for ThunderClan," Firestar began as everyone settled around the Highledge. "Two kits will be taking their next steps along the path of becoming warriors of ThunderClan."

Meows of approval and excitement echoed through the clan, and Firestar beckoned Tanglekit and Puddlekit-both looking recently groomed- forward with a flick of his tail. "Puddlekit, from this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Puddlepaw." The pale gray apprentice looked up at Fireheart through bright blue eyes, dark gray paws kneading the earth nervously. "Brambleclaw, you are ready for your first apprentice, and as deputy of ThunderClan, StarClan's code decrees you to have an apprentice. I taught you myself, and I can only hope that you will pass on all of your courage and skill- as well as experience from the sun-drown journey- on to this young apprentice."

Puddlepaw's eyes were huge as Brambleclaw stepped forward, and Eaglekit felt his fur tingle with envy. What an honor to be trained by the Clan deputy…! Though the big tabby seemed relieved that he wouldn't have his paws full with Tanglekit, instead being chosen to mentor the quieter of Squirrelflight's two kits. As per the ceremony, he bent down to touch his nose to Puddlepaw's, giving the young apprentice a reassuring look.

"And Tanglekit, from this moment onward, until you have earn your warrior name, you will be known as Tanglepaw. Cloudtail, when Mousefur was ill you helped cover Spiderpaw's training, and I was impressed with how you handled him, and you are more than ready for your first apprentice. I also trained you, and I hope that you can pass on all of your compassion and loyalty to this young apprentice."

_Cloudtail?_ Eaglekit's eyes went wide as he thought of the impatient white warrior. _Tanglepaw will be dead in three days!_

Though as the clan began to crowd around the new apprentices, calling them by their new names, Eaglekit couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy. It wasn't fair! It's not like he couldn't see the way some of the older warriors looked at him… Dustpelt and the other senior warriors especially. He was ready to be an apprentice, whether they trusted his half-WindClan blood or not!

_Just wait 'til I reach my 6__th__ moon, ThunderClan…! I'll be an apprentice that the whole forest will have to respect!_

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><p>From her spot beside Eaglekit, Emberkit felt her brother tense, amber eyes blazing in a mixture of sharp jealously and fierce determination. <em>You're going to be the best warrior ever, Eaglekit…<em> She thought quietly to herself, leaning closer to her brother's smoky gray pelt. _And I'll be the best medicine cat! And Lilykit and Hollykit… We'll all prove to ThunderClan just how loyal we can be!_

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><p>Aaaand there's chapter 3! Hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it(: Now, if you have a request on POV for any future Chapters, just let me know, and I'll try to work it in! Thank-you all for reading! And review, review, review please~!<p> 


	4. Sunhigh Approaches

I'm on a roll today! Lol xD Well, here's Chapter 4, in which our darling kits may or may not become apprentices… x3

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><p>Eaglekit sighed as he watched Tanglepaw and Puddlepaw emerge from the apprentice's den, stretching and yawning.<p>

"Tanglepaw!" Cloudtail padded across the clearing to his apprentice. "Are you ready to go? I was just about to go in and wake you up, you lazy fur-ball!" He cuffed a snowy paw over the ginger apprentice's ear, but the long-legged tom dodged neatly out of the way, purring with amusement as he rolled onto his back.

"Come on, Cloudtail… Can't we battle train instead of hunting?"

The white warrior narrowed his eyes. "Or if you get off your lazy rump for five seconds we can hunt until sunghigh _and_ battle train, all in the same day! It's a wonder, isn't it?" Cloudtail rolled his eyes, and Eaglekit couldn't help his whiskers twitching in amusement. Contrary to his first thought, Cloudtail and Tanglepaw got along rather well as mentor and apprentice, the white warrior only needing to claw him over the ears three or four times a day to keep the ginger tom in check.

Eaglekit padded over to Puddlepaw as Tanglepaw left with his mentor, ears pricked in curiosity. "What are you doing today, Puddlepaw?"

The gray apprentice glanced at him with a tilt of his head. "Hm? Oh, I'm hunting for the elders, then Brambleclaw's gonna take me on the sunhigh patrol, why?"

Eaglekit shrugged. "Just wondering, I guess… I saw you teaching Hollykit and Lilykit a hunting crouch."

Puddlepaw blinked. "Would you like for me to show you, too?"

Eaglekit shook his head. "No… I want to learn how to defend this clan… I'd much rather learn fighting moves…"

Puddlepaw purred his soft laughter. "That will come in time, Eaglekit. Sooner than you think." His crystal blue eyes sparked. "Or hasn't anyone told you yet…?"

Eaglekit blinked again, confused. "Told me what?"

With another _mrrow_ of laughter, Puddlepaw flicked his tail against Eaglekit's shoulder before padding away. "You'll see soon enough!"

"Eaglekit! Eaglekit!" The smoky gray kit turned to see Hollykit scampering towards him across the clearing from the nursery. "You'll never get what Emberkit just told me!" With a playful yowl, Hollykit launched herself at her brother, bowling him over. Gently and easily disentangling himself from the gray and black tabby, Eaglekit sat up.

"What is it?" He blinked at her, amber eyes curious.

"Cinderpelt asked her if she wanted to become a medicine cat apprentice!"

Eaglekit's ears pricked up. "She did?"

Emberkit padded quietly up from behind her sister, nodding shyly. "I'm really excited to train as a medicine cat… I enjoy healing, and I already know a lot of the herbs from helping Cinderpelt around the camp." Eaglekit purred softly at the smaller she-cat.

"That's great, Emberkit."

Hollypaw looked at him like he was mouse-brained. "Don't you know what this means, Eaglekit?"

The gray tom blinked at his two sisters, rather confused. Hollykit went on. "It's been two moons since Tanglepaw and Puddlepaw were apprenticed, and tonight's the half-moon!"

Emberkit piped up again. "That's when I have to get my apprentice name. Cinderpelt is taking me tonight, and we have to leave at sunhigh."

Suddenly, Lilykit hurtled out of the nursery, bowling her brother over much like Hollykit had before. "We're going to be apprentices!" She squealed excitedly. "We're going to be apprentices!"

"We are?" In his shock, Eaglekit couldn't help his voice squeaking out like a young kit's, eyes wide.

"We're going to be apprentices!" Lilykit cheered again, bouncing up and down, around Eaglekit in a circle.

"How do you know?" He asked skeptically, causing Lilykit to stumble in her happy bounding.

"Firestar's in there talking to Mother and Father about it right now." She sniffed disdainfully. "I was pretending to be asleep but then Father realized I was faking and made me leave…"

Eaglekit's ears flattened. _Why would that matter…?_ "Wait here…" He murmured quietly, slinking towards the nursery. As he neared, Eaglekit could hear Crowfeather's sharp, indignant voice. "Why would we have to worry about their mentorship?" His father hissed. "They were born and raised in ThunderClan, what could _anyone_ find disloyal in that?"

"Crowfeather…" That was their mother's quiet voice,

"It's going to take more than that to convince the Clan of their loyalty, Crowfeather…" Firestar spoke in a soft, understanding tone. "I just want you to know that I've thought carefully about their mentors…"

Crowfeather let out an impatient huff of air. "And I'm assuming that I'm not one of them?"

Firestar sighed. "I've considered it…"

"But then they'll doubt my children's' loyalty." Crowfeather cut in bitterly. "No, Firestar… It's alright. I just want them to be happy… Please don't choose any one that will hold them back for their half-clan heritage… I couldn't live with myself if I set them up for failure like that…"

"Crowfeather…" Leafpool's voice was pained, but understanding. "It's not just your fault… I was a medicine cat…"

"If it's worth anything," Eaglekit's ears pricked as he heard Sorreltail's voice thrown into the mix. "I want Crowfeather to mentor one of my kit's when they're ready. If I only have one, I want him to be the mentor."

There was a stunned silence, and a soft purr erupted from Leafpool's chest. "Oh, Sorreltail…"

Firestar was quiet. Eaglekit took a deep breath, bracing himself before he stepped forward, pushing his way into the nursery.

"Eaglekit." Crowfeather gave him a sharp look. "What are you doing in here? We're talking to Firestar at the moment, you should leave."

Eaglekit lifted his head. "No."

Leafpool's amber eyes shot wide, and Firestar's ears pricked. Crowfeather's tail flicked back and forth in agitation. "Excuse me?"

Eaglekit turned to Firestar, addressing the flame-pelted warrior directly with his head high. "I don't care who my mentor is." He began, amber eyes blazing. "I will work twice as hard as a pure ThunderClan apprentice, run twice as fast—catch twice as much fresh-kill. And when I fight twice as hard for my clan, they won't have a choice but to accept that I am the most loyal cat ThunderClan has. My sisters are the same. Firestar, give us whichever mentors you deem worthy, because we're _dying_ to prove our loyalty to ThunderClan." Firestar blinked at him through wise green eyes before dipping his head in a nod.

"Well said, young Eaglekit. You and your siblings will be apprenticed at sunhigh… I hope you're ready to back up those words." With a light flick of his tail on Eaglekit's shoulder, Firestar left, leaving just Eaglekit, Crowfeather, Leafpool, and Sorreltail in the nursery.

Crowfeather was quiet for a moment, before her leaned down and touched his nose to the top of Eaglekit's head. "Firestar's right, Eaglekit… That was well said…" Eaglekit felt his heart glow at the praise… Right up until he got a heavy cuff over the ear from his father's paw. "But so help me," he hissed, "if I _ever_ catch you eavesdropping—especially on your Clan _leader_—again, I'll have your ears!"

Eaglekit ducked his head in embarrassment. "Yes, Father…"

That earned a satisfied nod from the smoky warrior. "Good. Now go, and don't repeat anything you just heard to your siblings, alright?"

With a small nod, Eaglekit scampered back out of the nursery, somewhat startled by how far the sun had risen already. "Eaglekit!" Lilykit was calling for him, from next to the apprentice den, Tanglepaw beside her. As he approached, he noticed his sister's tail lashing furiously. While Lilykit got most of her looks from their mother- with her light brown tabby fur, snowy white legs, and identical amber eyes- Lilykit had definitely inherited her temper from their father.

"What's the matter, Lilykit?"

The small tabby growled. "I told Tanglepaw that we'd be moving into the apprentice den today and he called me a liar!"

Tanglepaw rolled his eyes. "I did not. I told you I didn't think it was happening. And definitely not today. See? Your still whining off to your brother like a kit… That's not exactly yowling, 'I'm ready to be an apprentice'."

Eaglekit sighed. "We are, though." He pointed out seriously. "Emberkit has to be apprenticed today, and we're all 6 moons old now."

Tanglepaw rolled his eyes again before his ears pricked, attention completely refocused as his brother re-enter the camp, pushing his way through the thorn tunnel with a load of fresh-kill that could have bested a LionClan cat.

"Wow…" Lilykit meowed quietly. "I'm going to bring in catches like _that_ one day! Tomorrow, even, because I'm _going_ to be an apprentice!" She added the last part for Tanglepaw's benefit, but the ginger apprentice was already padding over to his brother.

"Forget him, Lilykit." Eaglekit mewed, flicking her ear with his tail-tip. Let's go get Hollykit and Emberkit, it's almost sunhigh." He felt his fur tingling with energy as he said that, paws filled with electicity.

_Just you wait, ThunderClan! Whoever my mentor is, whether they approve of my blood or not, will see just how loyal I am!_

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><p>Chapter 3(: So what do you guys think? Still want me to continue? Who's your favorite kit? (though since we've only seen the POV of two of them I'm not sure if that's a good question xP lol. If you DO have a favorite though, feel free to tell me, and I may try extra-hard to do a chapter in their POV:P Until the next chapter!<p> 


	5. Apprentices At Last!

Chapter 5! Enjoy!

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><p>"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar's call rang out strong and clear, setting Eaglekit's blood on fire. <em>This is it…!<em>

Glancing around at his littermates, Eaglekit felt a surge of pride. They were finally going to be made apprentices!

"Today, 4 kits have reached their sixth moon, and it's time for them to be apprenticed." There were a few meows of approval, but there was just as many disconcerted mumblings, about loyalty, about WindClan. "With every passing day," Firestar continued in a strong, powerful tone, "ThunderClan grows stronger, and with each new apprentice, one step closer to gaining more warriors. So step forward, you four."

Eaglekit tilted his chin up as his sister's hesitated, stepping to stand before the Highledge, closely flanked by Emberkit, and then Hollykit and Lilykit.

Firestar cast an approving look over Eaglekit, before continuing, his green gaze resting thoughtfully on the smoky gray kit. "Eaglekit, from this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Eaglepaw." He paused tilting his chin up before padding lightly down from the highledge to stand in front of the young apprentice. "I have seen great potential in this kit, and I have decided that I will mentor Eaglepaw myself."

Electricity shot through Eaglepaw's veins as he stared with wide amber eyes up at his Clan leader. _Firestar is going to be my mentor?_ As a startled silence fell over the crowd, the ThunderClan leader stepped forward, bending to gently touch noses with his new apprentice, before stepping back. "Bluestar mentored me herself, and I can only hope that I can pass on all I have learned from her to you." Eaglepaw managed a small nod, heart thudding. _I'm Firestar's apprentice!_

"Hollykit," Firestar continued, "from this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Hollypaw. Sandstorm, you are ready to take your next apprentice. Whitestorm trained you well, and I hope you can pass on all of his strength and wisdom—as well as your own hunting skills—to this young apprentice." With a small nod, Sandstorm stepped forward and touched noses with Hollypaw, whose icy eyes were glowing with excitement. "Lilykit. From this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Lilypaw. Dustpelt." Eaglepaw saw the senior warriors eyes go wide, partially in disbelief—partially in anger. "You are more than ready for your next apprentice. Redtail taught you well, and you've done an excellent job with not only Ashfur, but Squirrelflight as well. I trust you to teach all you know to young Lilypaw."

Eyes slightly narrowed, Dustpelt stepped forward, but bent and touched noses with Lilypaw anyways, tail-tip twitching in agitation. _Don't you dare doubt her, Dustpelt…_ Eaglepaw sank his claws into the ground, keeping himself from clawing his senior warrior's ears off.

"And Emberkit." Firestar turned soft green eyes on the tiniest of the 4 kits. "Cinderpelt has been talking to me about you, and if I understand correctly, you've chosen a different path to walk, haven't you…?"

Emberkit gave their leader a small nod. "Yes, Firestar."

"Then you're sure that you wish to be a medicine cat?"

Gasps echoed around the crowd, and Cinderpelt stepped forward. "Of course she's sure." The dark gray she-cat purred, limping forward to touch noses with the young tortoiseshell before turning to face the rest of the clan. "I have already asked her, and accepted her as my apprentice. We're traveling to the Moonpool tonight." She gave Emberkit a flick of her tail. "You'll earn your true apprentice name there."

Eaglepaw noticed the heavy atmosphere and tensed. Did ThunderClan doubt their loyalty so much? They couldn't even be glad to have 4 more strong apprentices?

"Congratulations!" Puddlepaw bounded over, Tanglepaw close behind, touching noses with all four in turn.

"Yeah, come on and we'll show you the apprentice den, you can get your nests set up!" Tanglepaw mewed energetically. To the side, Cinderpelt was getting Emberkit ready to leave.

"We'll be going now." She meowed, mostly to Firestar. Eaglepaw noticed Hollypaw pressing close against the small tortoiseshell, giving her a reassuring lick before padding away to find her mentor. Eaglepaw padded over to Emberkit, seeing the excitement and fear bright in her blue eyes.

"Good luck, Emberkit." He purred, licking her ear. "I'm sure you'll do fine." She purred in response, blinking gratefully up at him.

"We're going to be the best apprentices this forest has ever seen." She murmured quietly, gazing up at him through blue eyes that already seemed to hold a whisper of StarClan's shimmer. "Just you wait."

Eaglepaw purred in response, resting his nose on her shoulder. "You got that right. ThunderClan will have no choice but to accept us then."

Cinderpelt's call for Emberkit sent her padding towards the thorn tunnel, joining her mentor there before leaving, on her way to take the next steps in her life as a medicine cat. _You'll be the best medicine cat ever, Emberkit!_

"Eaglepaw!" The smoky apprentice looked up to see Firestar approaching him. He dipped his head respectfully. "Yes, Firestar?" His mentor flicked him on the shoulder with his tail.

"Let's go. Today, you'll go on your first border patrol." He flicked his ginger tail at Brambleclaw, and the tabby called for Puddlepaw before the 4 headed to the thorn tunnel and left. _ThunderClan, here I come!"_

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><p>Lilypaw's ears and tail drooped as soon as the ceremony was over. <em>Why did he look at me like that? Like he was about to tell Firestar no? I know Crowfeather's my father…<em> The tabby she-cat felt a flare of indignation. _See if I care, Dustpelt. I'll blow your other two apprentices out of the water!_

"Let's go." The dark brown tabby tom growled gruffly, twitching his ear in slight annoyance. "And try to pay attention, because we're going to see the borders today. But I'm sure you already know all about the WindClan side." His tone was harsh, but all Lilypaw felt was raw fury.

"No," she mewed quietly, glaring up at him. "I don't. And I wouldn't. Because I'm a _ThunderClan_ apprentice. Or haven't you heard of ThunderClan? Maybe if you could keep your claws sheathed for more than a heart-beat you'd be able to see past the tick on your nose." She paused, waiting for the older warrior to say something. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching me something, Dustpelt…?"

The tabby was quiet, looking at her with a little more consideration. "We _are_ going to go around the borders." He finally ground out grudgingly. "And maybe we'll see if you can catch more than a shred arrogance to speak that way to your senior warriors."

Lilypaw rolled her eyes. _This is going to be a looong apprenticeship…_

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><p>Hollypaw glanced down, self-concious under the sharp green gaze of her new mentor. "Let's go then." She finally meowed, flicking Hollypaw's shoulder with her tail-tip. Hollypaw perked up. "Go where?"<p>

Sandstorm purred. "Around the borders. The first thing an apprentice needs to know is what they're fighting for."

Hollypaw perked up. "We're fighting for our Clan." She answered immediately. She then drooped. Muttering a small, "and to prove that we're just as loyal as any other cat…"

Sandstorm's ears pricked as she heard the last comment, not sure if it was meant to be heard or not. Regardless, she nudged her new apprentice gently with her nose. "You will." She purred. "Firestar didn't even have a scrap of warrior blood in him, and look where he is now. If he could do it, then you and your siblings can, too, right?"

Hollypaw purred, already taking to her new mentor. "Right!"

"Good." Sandstorm nodded. "Now let's get going. Al the trees will be dead by the time we get out there!" Still purring in amusement, Hollypaw followed. _That's right…_ She thought quietly. _If Firestar can do it, then so can we. We are his kin, after all… We'll be the most loyal cats that ever walked this forest!_

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><p>So there's chapter 5(: Let me know what you think, because I don't know what to do to make it better until you tell me what I'm doing wrong(: Have a favorite kit yet? (Well, apprentice, now. Lol) Feel free to let me know, and like I said, I just might work extra hard to work in their POV if you let me know whose you want. So… Yeah. R &amp; R, plz!<p> 


	6. Apprenticeship

Chapter 6! Okay, I am SO sorry that this took so long… I don't know how long it's been since I've actually had time to just sit down and write. Lol. Oh well, I guess… EOC's are next week, so wish me luck! Here is the (long) long awaited Chapter 6!

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><p>Eaglepaw's ears flicked as he stalked forward through the undergrowth, paws silent, senses alert. 2 full moons of training showed in the ripple of lean muscles as he prowled steadily towards his target, showed in the sure placement of every paw-step… Until he finally pounced, landing square on the shoulders of his flame-pelted target.<p>

Firestar let out a yowl of surprise, much to Eaglepaw's satisfaction, as the gray tabby easily bowled his leader over. They tussled for a moment, but only a moment, before he pinned Firestar down, his mentor panting slightly from the surprise attack and fight.

"Let me up, you great lump." Firestar purred affectionately, cuffing his apprentice over the ear. Eaglepaw's whiskers twitched in amusement as he watched Firestar shake the dirt from his pelt, his flaming fur still ruffled from their fight. "That was good." He finally meowed, his green eyes locking with Eaglepaw's own ambers.

"Thank-you." Eaglepaw dipped his head, feeling his heart swell at the praise. Firestar certainly had held him to every single word he had spoken before his apprenticeship 2 moons ago. He made him run faster, fight harder, hunt more, patrol longer… And every ounce of that training was showing now, his skills nearly equal to that of the two older apprentices, Tanglepaw and his brother Puddlepaw.

"Take the rest of the day for hunting, and bring it all to the elders. Okay?"

Eaglepaw nodded at his leader and mentor. "Yes, Firestar."

The ginger tom flicked the younger gray apprentice with his tail. "I'll see you at sundown for the evening patrol, hm?"

Eaglepaw dipped his head again. "Of course, Firestar. Who else is going?" Firestar paused, thinking, then meowed thoughtfully, "Brambleclaw and Puddlepaw. Oh, " he added. "And tomorrow you're on the sunhigh patrol with Dustpelt and Lilypaw. I think Crowfeather's do for that patrol as well."

Eaglepaw tilted his head, making a mental note. _Evening patrol tonight with Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Puddlepaw__…__ Sunhigh patrol tomorrow with Dustpelt, Lilypaw, and Crowfeather._ "Yes Firestar."

His mentor nodded. "Good, now get to that hunting." With that, the ginger tom slipped away through the forest, leaving Eaglepaw alone with his thoughts. It had been much the same for his siblings, he thought, for these first two moons. Nonstop training, day in and day out. Even Emberpaw was always busy, Cinderpelt so proud of her quick learning and compassionate nature that she had her almost taking over already. Lilypaw had even gotten a complement from old Dustpelt just yesterday for working so hard. At this point, Eaglepaw was certain that Hollypaw was the fastest runner in the whole of ThunderClan, second only to her mentor, Sandstorm. And the gray tom knew that it could only get better from there. Even Puddlepaw and Tanglepaw, who had been training for 4 moons now had admitted that they had come a long way. But they certainly weren't going to be outdone any time soon, that was for sure.

Eaglepaw sank his claws into the soft dirt beneath him at the thought, suddenly that much more eager to prove himself. Maybe even earn his warrior name before the two eldest apprentices… With a light shake of his head, Eaglepaw reminded himself of the task at hand. Even the best warrior in the forest needed to know the importance of respecting and hunting for the elders. Determined to catch more than he had yesterday, the smoky gray apprentice slid deeper into the forest, ears pricked for the slightest sound of prey. The path to being a great warrior was long, Firestar had told him, and filled with challenges.

_Well__…_ Eaglekit thought with a purr of satisfaction as he easily caught a plump mouse. _I'm ready for it._

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><p>Before Eaglekit knew it, the sun was sinking behind the trees, signaling the time for his hunting trip to end. Gathering up as much as he could carry, the smoky apprentice padded back to camp, doing as Firestar said and taking it directly to the elders. He ran into Hollypaw on her way out, a twig swathed with mouse-bile soaked moss clamped in her jaws.<p>

Eaglepaw wrinkled his nose. "Hey, Hollypaw." He mewed.

She rolled her blue eyes, seeming exasperated with the task at hand. Eaglepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement, and she playfully swatted him in the shoulder with her soft paw.

"Yeah, I'll see tomorrow, Hollypaw. Maybe we can hunt together after I finish up on the sunhigh patrol."

His sister seemed to think about it, before shrugging, as if to say "I don't know." With a light flick of her tail, Hollypaw continued back to the medicine den, Emberpaw meeting her at the entrance, her whiskers visibly twitching in amusement.

Eaglepaw had just enough time to deposit all of his prey in the elder's den before Firestar was calling him for the evening patrol. Padding quickly to the entrance, Eaglepaw joined the others at the thorn tunnel, mewing a quick apology.

Firestar purred his understanding, and Puddlepaw gave him a playful head-butt.

"Alright," Firestar began. "We're going to remark the ShadowClan border."

Brambleclaw nodded, a serious look in his amber eyes. "Yes. They been getting awfully close lately, and we don't want them thinking that they can cross our boundaries whenever they feel like it."

Puddlepaw tilted his head. "Do you think they'll try?"

Firestar narrowed his eyes. "I hope not. They seem to think we're weak." His eyes flashed, pride glowing in them. "Apparently they haven't seen our apprentices. With a Clan this strong, they'll be sad they ever thought about it."

Brambleclaw puffed his chest out in pride, and Puddlepaw's dark blue eyes seemed to glow. Eaglepaw felt his own heart swell a little at his leader and mentor's confidence in their Clan.

"Now." Firestar turned back towards the tunnel, flicking his tail in a signal for them to follow. "Let's get going."

Firestar took the lead as they exited the thorn tunnel, Brambleclaw close at his shoulder, leaving Puddlepaw and Eaglepaw to bring up the rear. It was only then, padding side by side with the older apprentice, that Eaglepaw realized that he was almost bigger than the ashy gray tom beside him.

"So how's training been, Eaglepaw?" Puddlepaw glanced at him through curious blue eyes.

"Pretty good." Eaglepaw mewed. "I've already learned so much."

Puddlepaw nodded. "Same here." His eyes flashed. "But Tanglepaw keeps complaining about how we never get to train together. The 3 of us, he means. He's dying to spar with you."

Eaglepaw let out a mrrow of laughter. "Anytime."

Suddenly, they're conversation was cut off at the lash of Brambleclaw's tail and Firestar's soft hiss for quiet. They were close to the border now. They were going to have to be more careful. Silent as shadows, the ThunderClan cats crept forward, completely alert.

"Wait…" Puddlepaw murmured, slinking a little bit ahead of Eaglepaw, closer to Brambleclaw and Firestar. The two older warriors both froze, and Puddlepaw slid ahead of them. Firestar flicked his ears, but a confident nod from his deputy had the leader allowing the pale gray tom to take the lead. Eaglepaw felt a faint pang of jealousy, but it only lasted a moment, because a moment later, Puddlepaw had stilled completely, his lean form rigid as he crouched just at the edge of the border.

"What is it…?" Brambleclaw hissed quietly, ears flicking, his amber eyes flashing.

"ShadowClan…" The older apprentice growled quietly. "It…" His blue eyes widened. "It smells like a whole patrol… The whole clan, even…" He crept forwards, just another few paw-steps, and following, Eaglepaw saw what had suddenly sent his clanmates bristling and on edge. There, creeping across the ThunderClan border, was a huge patrol of battle-ready ShadowClan warriors.

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><p>And there is Chapter 6! Please tell me what you guys think… I don't how to get better until you guys let me know how(: Like I said before, if you have a point of view you'd like to read, or any suggestions on couples, because it's getting to that point;P lol xD So let me know which kit is your favorite (between Eaglepaw, Emberpaw, Hollypaw, Lilypaw, Tanglepaw, and Puddlepaw) So, yeah… Sorry again for the late update, but here it is! Review please!<p> 


	7. The Battle Begins

Chapter 7(: Oky-doky, I'm determined to keep this story going, and I will keep uploading chapters. So here's Chapter 7!

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><p>Eaglepaw froze, fur bristling at the sight of the intruders, ShadowClan's rank scent crashing through his senses. Over Puddlepaw's shoulder, Eaglepaw could have sworn he saw ShadowClan's whole camp slinking over the border, a huge white tom at the lead, easily distinguished by his huge black paws.<p>

_That must be Blackstar__…__!_

Closely trailing the huge leader was a dark ginger she-cat, whom Eaglepaw suspected was the deputy. He saw Brambleclaw's long front claws sink into the ground.

"Firestar…" Their deputy murmured, hackles rising. Firestar nodded. "I know, Brambleclaw…"

Puddlepaw's ears flicked, obviously trying to catch the soft whispers of the passing ShadowClan cats.

"They're going to our camp…" He finally reported. "I think… They want to drive us out…"

Eaglepaw felt his own claws tearing at the earth under his paws. "Let them try… We'll rip them to shreds…"

Firestar flicked his tail for silence, before beckoning them silently back into the bushes. "The four of us can't take on that patrol alone." He meowed, tail already lashing at the prospect of battle.

Brambleclaw nodded. "We'll need someone to run back for help."

Puddlepaw was quiet, his crystal clear eyes locking with Eaglepaw's for only a second, easily reading the jealousy there.

_I'm younger__…_ Eaglepaw was thinking reasonably, trying not to yowl in frustration. _Of course they're going to send me__…__!_

"Unless…" The ashy gray apprentice piped up, his dark gray paws kneading anxiously at the ground. "There was a diversion. Then all three of you could run back to camp and warn the Clan, and they would be lead straight into an ambush."

"I could do that." Brambleclaw offered, stepping forward. "I could easily lead them astray from the camp…"

Firestar shook his head. "No. If they want to drive us out, they won't let us get them away from the camp."

"What about stalling them?" Puddlepaw suddenly mewed. "just something to keep them distracted, even if it's just long enough to fetch one more patrol."

Once again, Eaglepaw felt the softest tug of jealousy, this time for the older apprentice's level-headed thinking. _What would __he__ do in this situation__…__?_

"I could run back." Eaglepaw said, speaking for the first time. "They're only getting closer to the camp, and I'm the smallest." _Barely._ He added in his head.

Firestar paused for a moment, then nodded. "Go. Run like you've never run before, Eaglepaw." Then to his deputy and Puddlepaw, "We don't have much time for diversion, so-"

Eaglepaw had already started running. And ShadowClan had already heard. It was mere heartbeats before Eaglepaw heard yowls of pursuit, which quickly morphed into startled hisses as Firestar's battle cry rang out through the forest.

_Great StarClan__…_ Eaglepaw thought desperately. _They've already begun fighting__…__ If I don't make it in time__…_…

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><p>Lilypaw sighed, restraining a yowl of frustration as she sat up in her nest. It didn't matter what the light tabby she-cat did, she could <span>not<span> get to sleep. Hollypaw stirred beside her, ever dreaming in her deep slumber. With another resigned sigh, Lilypaw got up, carefully edging out of the apprentice's den and into the hollow. She sat in the moonlight for a moment, enjoying the play of moonlight on her light brown tabby fur, turning her snowy white legs silver.

"What are you doing up so late…?"

Lilypaw started, only to relax as she recognized the delicate form and dark tortoiseshell pelt of her sister, padding silently to sit next to her.

"Oh…" Lilypaw shrugged. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Hm…" Emberkit turned her blue-eyed gaze to the stars, a distant look entering them as she seemed look beyond even Silverpelt shining above them. "I have a bad feeling about tonight…" The smaller she-cat murmured, shivering as if she were cold. "I feel that there will be bloodshed… And de-"

She never got to finish that sentence. An awful racket in the thorn tunnel turning both of the she-cats heads.

"ThunderClan!"

Lilypaw jumped to her feet, amber eyes wide. "Eaglepaw!"

The smoky gray tom seemed to hardly notice her. "It's ShadowClan!" He yowled desperately. Cloudtail and Sootfur, who had been standing guard, bounded over, eyes wide.

"What are you yowling about, Eaglepaw?" Cloudtail scoffed lightly.

Eaglepaw shook his head, and Lilypaw rushed over to hear better as her brother panted out the story again.

"We were…Checking the ShadowClan border… And we saw them… They're invading… There's so many…"

"And where is the rest of the patrol?" That was Sootfur, his amber eyes already flashing with the light of battle.

"Already fighting…" Eaglepaw shook his head. "They're hopeless right now, they said to come get help! You have to go now!"

Cloudtail nodded, flicking his tail. "Alright. You rest, Eaglepaw, you'll be part of the backup wave." By then, at least half of ThunderClan had gathered around. "Sootfur, Rainwhisker," he motioned the two gray toms. "You're with me, we'll go now."

"Puddlepaw's out there."

Lilypaw's ears pricked as Tanglepaw pushed his way forward. The dark ginger tom's fur was already bristling. "I'll go with you, Cloudtail."

His snowy mentor hesitated, before nodding. "Let's go."

"I'll take the second patrol." Dustpelt, a senior warrior, and Lilpaw's mentor stepped forward. "Sandstorm, Ashfur, Spiderleg, Birchpaw, and-"

Crowfeather pushed his way forward. "I'll go."

Dustpelt's eyes narrowed before he gave a curt nod, and Lilypaw felt her heat surge with joy and pride. Her father was going to fight for their Clan, for ThunderClan.

"Let's go then." The brown tabby mewed gruffly, before racing for the entrance where Cloudtail's patrol had disappeared moments before. He paused at the entrance, throwing a quick, "the rest of you stay to defend the camp, until we send for more help." Over his shoulder.

Thornclaw's tail lashed furiously from side to side. "If there's as many as Eaglepaw says," he mewed. "We're going to need more than just those two measly patrols."

Brakenfur shook his head. "No. This is ShadowClan we're talking about. They've probably spilt up, one patrol to catch our moonhigh patrol-"

"And the other to come straight back here…" Squirrelflight finished, claws out. "And you can bet three mouse-tails that we'll rip them limb from limb when they do get here."

Lilypaw sighed, slipping away from the throng of anxious warriors to talk to her brother. Hollypaw and Emberpaw were already with him.

"I can't believe it." She mumbled as she approached, her three siblings turning to look at her. "Puddlepaw and Tanglepaw _both_ get to fight… And all _four_ of us are stuck back here at camp…"

Hollykit shook her head. "Brackenfur is right though." She mewed sensibly. "This is ShadowClan we're talking about."

Eaglepaw's eyes flashed. "I get the feeling that they'll be here soon…"

Emberpaw just nodded, crouched close to the shelter of Eaglepaw's flank, her eyes clouded.

"Well good." Lilypaw niffed, tail-tip flicking. "Because the last thing I need is something _else_ for Tanglepaw to give me a hard time about." The tabby could have ripped the ginger tom's pelt off on numerous occasions, but the presence of their mentors—as well as the fact that Tanglepaw was bigger than she was, had kept her claws sheathed.

"They're here…" Emberpaw mewed softly, just moments before a dark gray form burst through the entrance, followed shortly by a river of ShadowClan warriors. Brackenfur let out a fierce yowl, and the ThunderClan camp burst into battle.

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><p>Okay, I know it may seem short… (Or maybe it seems long?) but here's Chapter 7! I'm taking requests on POV, and I still wanna know who the favorite is(: lol. So R &amp; R. And the faster I get some reviews the faster I'll be updating;P Byez!<p> 


	8. The Battle

Chapter 8(: *sigh* the number of reviews is saddening… I'm going to be finished with the story before I even know anyone's favorite apprentice… Lol. Well, here's Chapter 8!

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><p>Lilypaw hardly had time to take in the scene before she was barreled over by strong smoky black tom. Thinking quickly, Lilypaw allowed the tom to tackle her down, using the momentum to keep on rolling, lashing her claws across his powerful shoulder. The tom hissed in pain, lunging for her again. Lilypaw avoided his attack this time, ducking under his outstretched paws to swipe a quick blow across his stomach as she passed, whirling around to give him a chomp on the tail as a farewell as Squirrelflight came out of nowhere to help her out.<p>

Lilypaw sank her claws into the ground, eyes wide as she took in the sight of the ThunderClan camp, though she only could have been fighting for a few heartbeats. At the center, was a mass of fighting, cats of every build and color hissing and spitting as they battled. The most horrifying thought, the tabby apprentice realized, was how few of those cats she recognized. A flash of Thornclaw's golden-brown tabby pelt here, a glimpse of Brightheart's white and ginger fur there… And…

_Eaglepaw…!_ Lilypaw let out an inward sigh of relief, spotting her brother fighting in a vicious battle against a ShadowClan warrior at least twice his size.

"Lilypaw, look out!" Brackenfur's warning came just in time, as a brown tabby leaped for the small apprentice. Prepared from Brackenfur's warning, Lilypaw took the other cat head on, claws unsheathed as she fought for her clan. Now was the time that it counted, that she could really make ThunderClan proud. And it was in that fight with the brown tabby warrior, that Lilypaw realized that it wasn't just ShadowClan they were fighting. ShadowClan and RiverClan had united against them.

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><p>Puddlepaw staggered to his feet, impatiently shaking the blood from his forehead, where it was trickling from a long gash to obscure his vision. This battle was hopeless. A few foxlengths away, Puddlepaw could see Firestar and Blackstar struggling in a fierce battle, both wounded. Brambleclaw had just chased off one warrior, only for another to takes its place. Another warrior, with dark ginger fur, leaped into the fray, putting Brambleclaw in an obviously unfair fight. Crouching low, Puddlepaw coiled back on his haunches, before jumping to his mentor's aid, landing square on the dark ginger warrior's shoulders. The she-cat let out a hiss, the impact taking both cats down. She rolled, though, pinning the ashy gray apprentice beneath her.<p>

"So ThunderClan is letting its kits fight now, eh?" She sneered, raking her hind claws down Puddlepaw's exposed stomach. He fought back a yowl, trying to think fast before he bled out. Thinking quickly, the ashy gray tom pulled his hind-legs under the she-cat, coiling them much like he had before making that jump, and pushed upward, flinging the startled cat clear over his head. She landed hard, momentarily stunned, before another ginger form, this one much more familiar to Puddlepaw, fell upon her, a vicious battle cry ringing out as a fresh patrol of ThunderClan warriors arrived.

"Tanglepaw!" Puddlepaw exclaimed, never more relieved to see his long-legged brother before in his life. Filled with fresh strength, Puddlepaw leapt back into battle, fighting side by side with his brother. Even with two fresh patrols though, ThunderClan was hopelessly outnumbered. He caught another glimpse of Blackstar through the fighting, his white pelt streaked with blood.

"Push through!" He yowled to his clan. "This border is not our target!"

Puddlepaw and Tanglepaw exchanged a startled glance, eyes wide, before Puddlepaw finally realized what was going on.

"Brambleclaw!" He yowled, spotting his dark tabby mentor. "They're attacking the camp!"

The deputy stilled for a moment, before realization dawned on him. "ThunderClan! Fall back!"

Firestar appeared out of nowhere, pelt ragged, but his green eyes blazing. "Fall back!" He echoed. "Defend the camp!"

"Let's go!" Tanglepaw hissed, whirling around to bolt back to the camp. Puddlepaw was right on his heels, both running like they had never run before. As they neared, Puddlepaw could already hear the sounds of fighting, telling him that he was right. They were attacking the camp.

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><p>Eaglepaw lashed his claws across the ShadowClan warrior's ears furiously, hissing as he landed blow after blow, forcing the cat right back through the thorn barrier it had come through.<p>

"And stay out!" He spat, whirling around to look for his next opponent, spotting Brackenfur struggling with a pair of RiverClan warriors in front of the nursery. The smoky gray tom ran to his aid, tackling down the larger of the two warriors and giving him a nasty bite on the shoulder. Brackenfur gave him a small nod of thanks as they chased the RiverClan warriors away from the nursery. Moments later, Leafpool emerged, rushing past the two warriors and racing to the medicine den.

"What's going on?" Eaglepaw glanced up at the golden-brown tabby warrior beside him, whose eyes were bright with worry.

"It's Sorreltail…" He mewed hoarsely, staggering from blood-loss. "The kits are coming…"

Eaglepaw felt his eyes shoot wide, but just then, Brackenfur seemed to lose consciousness, falling limp in the dirt, his flank rising and falling rapidly as he breathed. "I'll defend the nursery." He promised quietly, unsheathing his claws as another warrior attempted to get through. He swiped a paw over the other warrior's shoulder, ducking to avoid a blow similar to the one he had just delivered. The other warrior was bigger though, swatting the smaller apprentice down with a better aimed attack. Eaglepaw growled, twisting around to sink his teeth into the warrior's hind leg as he tried to push through the nursery, not letting go as he struggled back to his feet and drug him back away from the nursery, just in time for Cinderpelt to push her way through, Emberpaw scurrying behind her with wide blue eyes, a bundle of herbs in her jaw.

_Will this battle ever end…?_ Eaglepaw thought hopelessly, glancing around the clearing. It didn't seem to matter how many they fought off, more just kept coming. A fresh patrol of ShadowClan warriors swept through the thorn entrance even as Eaglepaw thought it, though he couldn't help but to recognize Blackstar at the head, which meant that either the ThunderClan patrols had been defeated, or…

A yowl rang out across the clearing, announcing the arrival of Firestar, and two more whole patrols of ThunderClan warriors.

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><p>Lilypaw paused, gasping for air as she fought off yet another ShadowClan cat, this one an apprentice like herself, with a few more moons of experience as well as size. But even through the rush of battle, she heard Firestar's yowl.<p>

_We can't give up now…_ She told herself, forcing herself to attack yet another intruder. _ThunderClan __will__ win!_

Lilypaw found herself up against two huge warriors, both easily twice her size, and suddenly she wasn't so hopeful. She fought vainly against the two bigger cats, clawing and biting, but to no avail. The lithe brown tabby was feeling faint on her paws, on the verge of collapsing, when the attackers were suddenly driven back.

"Keep your paws off of her, you filthy mange-bags!"

And never before had Lilypaw thought that she would ever be glad to see the lean, flame-colored form of Tanglepaw.

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><p>Oky-doky! That was Chapter 8! Constructive (but not hateful) criticism is always welcome, and don't be shy about reviewing and telling me your thoughts(: Still trying to work out couples and future warrior names, if anyone has any suggestions(:<p> 


	9. The Aftermath

Chapter 9! I'm beginning to wonder how long this fic is going to be… lol. And I would like to thank my reviewers: Meowskull130, DarkTracy, and GakuenAlice01(: So, here is Chapter 9~!

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><p>"Don't worry, Sorreltail… You did great…" Cinderpelt purred, giving the new queen a reassuring flick of her tail.<p>

Emberpaw let out a faint sigh of relief, not only that the three kits were all out and healthy, but for the last yowls of defiance as ThunderClan chased out the last of the intruders. They had won.

_But at what cost…?_

The young tortoiseshell jumped as a cat burst into the nursery, only to relax as she realized it was Hollypaw. "Emberpaw, Cinderpelt!" She mewed. "Are you both okay? We really need help out here…"

Cinderpelt gave a brisk nod, getting up and nodding towards Sorreltail. "Emberpaw," she began. "Go get some herbs for Sorreltail, you know the ones, then come help me with these cats. It's going to take both of us." With a small farewell to Sorreltail, Cinderpelt made her way out, limping more than usual from the stiff chill that seemed to have entered the air.

"Go with Cinderpelt, Hollypaw." Emberpaw encourage her silver-and-black tabby sister, giving her a gentle nudge.

"Okay…" Turning, Hollypaw made her way back into the clearing, revealing the long scratches running down her flank on one side.

_No one in ThunderClan go away unscathed…_ She turned back to Sorreltail, telling her that she would be back in just a moment, before pushing out of the nursery and into the devastation that had become ThunderClan's camp. And even after telling hrself over and over that she knew it would be bad, Emberpaw wasn't ready for the sight she was suddenly faced with.

_Oh, Spottedleaf… How can I help so many cats…?_

Steeling her nerves, Emberpaw padded across the clearing, slipping into the medicine den to get the herbs Cinderpelt had requested. The small tortoiseshell froze in sudden horror upon entering. The entire medicine den had been ruined. Completely destroyed. From what she could tell, none of the herbs had survived, even those back in the crevice. When she stretched her paw back to check, she found only the shredded remains of what used to be a well-stocked herb store.

_They've gone too far…_ Emberpaw hurried back into the main clearing, catching Cinderpelt tending to Cloudtail near the warriors' den. "Cinderpelt…!" She mewed urgently. "There's a problem…"

The dark gray she-cat looked up at her, eyes already dark. "What is it, Emberpaw?"

The small apprentice took a deep breath. "The other warriors, RiverClan and ShadowClan, they got into the medicine den… There's nothing left…"

The medicine cat froze, eyes wide. "Great StarClan no!" She whirled around, hobbling as fast as she could back to the medicine den, leaving Emberpaw with Cloudtail, who had perked up at the news. "They destroyed our medicine den…?" Emberpaw saw his claws sink into the ground, whether from fury or his apparent blood-loss, Emberpaw couldn't tell. "I wish I could have known that sooner… I would have torn off more fur… Just for you, Emberpaw."

"Shh…" Emberpaw urged him. "Lie down, you need rest." Waiting until the white warrior obliged, Emberpaw turned and padded back to the medicine den, where Cinderpelt sat, head bowed.

"Has StarClan turned against us…?"

Emberpaw gently sat next to her mentor, giving her ruffled dark gray fur a few comforting licks. "No, Cinderpelt… They just need to see that we're strong… That we can recover."

Her mentor looked at her through clouded blue eyes, and Emberpaw gave her shoulder another gentle lick. "I'll go round up one or two cats that aren't too badly injured and gather up some herbs, okay? I'll get the more badly wounded to come here for rest, and Firestar can do as he needs with the rest. You stay here, Cinderpelt, okay?" Cinderpelt nodded, but Emberpaw was still reluctant to leave her there.

"It's alright, Emberpaw. Go on." Cinderpelt meowed, looking more like herself. "We need cobwebs most of all, I think, and some marigold. You know where those grow best, don't you?"

Emberpaw nodded, then ducked back out into the camp. Her first task was to find one or two cats who could wait for medical attention. And then to send those who couldn't to Cinderpelt's den. Looking around the stone hollow, Emberpaw began to wonder if she would have to go into the forest on her own after all. As she feared, no cat made it out unscathed. Brackenfur was lying outside the nursery, his pelt ragged in torn, but flanks rising and falling rapidly as he breathed. Firestar sat under the high-ledge, Brambleclaw next to him, as well as Sandstorm, all three looking like they could barely put one foot in front of the other. Rainwhisker lay very still near the center of the camp, blood seeping into a crimson pool around him, and just a few feet away from him was Spiderleg, also eerily still.

_Oh, StarClan… How many have we lost…?_ Panic welling up inside of her, Emberpaw glanced frantically around for her siblings. She had already seen Hollypaw, but where were Lilypaw and Eaglepaw? She saw a flash of dark, smoky gray, and she sighed as she recognized not Eaglepaw, but their father, Crowfeather, as he gently nudged Leafpool to her paws.

"Emberpaw, are you okay?"

The small tortoiseshell jumped, turning to see none other than Eaglepaw padding towards her, though he swayed faintly on his paws. "Yes." She mewed quietly, surveying the damage. He was far too injured to help her any. "Go to Cinderpelt's den, Eaglepaw, you need to lay down util we can get some herbs."

His amber eyes clouded. "Not until I find Lil-Lilypaw. I saw Hollypaw already… She's helping Brightheart salvage what's… What's left of the fresh-kill pile… But Lilypaw…" Eaglepaw trailed off, eyes widened as he seemed to see something over Emberpaw's shoulder.

"What…?" She turned, feeling her own eyes widen as she saw what had caught her brother's attention. "Lilypaw!" She gasped, scrambling across the clearing, Eaglepaw right on her heals. She was lying down close to the apprentice den, Tanglepaw crouched protectively over her, claws still unsheathed.

"Tanglepaw, is she okay?" Emberpaw gasped as she made it over there.

The long-legged ginger tom finally seemed to relax, his head dropping with exhaustion, along with his tail. "Yes, I think so… She's breathing, anyways…" He leaned and gently licked the matted fur on her shoulder.

Eaglepaw let out a hoarse purr of amusement. "She would claw your ears off if she ever caught you trying that while she was awake." He teased the older apprentice gently. Tanglepaw let out a purr as well.

"Yeah…" He agreed. "I know."

Emberpaw tilted her head, taking a good look at Tanglepaw. He wasn't unharmed, that was for sure, but the long claw marks down his side and shoulder weren't nearly as bad as Eaglepaw's or Lilypaw's wounds.

"Come with me, Tanglepaw." She flicked her tail at the flame-pelted tom. "Eaglepaw, you stay with Lilypaw." Tanglepaw opened his mouth as if to object, but Emberpaw shook her head. "They ruined our herb stores, and I'm going to need some help finding what I need. You're one of the strongest cats I've seen, Tanglepaw, I'm going to need your strength."

Finally, the older warrior apprentice nodded, getting up stiffly from where had crouched with Lilypaw. Eaglepaw took his place, gently sitting next to her and cleaning her wounds. With Tanglepaw behind her, Emberpaw padded across the camp to the High-Ledge, stopping in front of Firestar.

"Emberpaw." He dipped his head in greeting. "What can I do for you…?"

She paused, suddenly self-conscious, before pushing onward. "I need one more warrior, or apprentice, it doesn't really make a difference, to come help me gather some herbs… They destroyed our stores in the attack, and we need to get some as soon as possible..." Firestar nodded, so she continued. "All of the severely injured cats are to go to Cinderpelt's den to lay down, and those who can't be moved are to have someone watching them, until we can get back with the herbs we need and have them tended to."

Firestar nodded again. "Of course. I'm about to call a meeting anyways."

Emberpaw nodded, and waited patiently while Firestar called for his clan from right there, beneath the high-ledge, and she briefly wondered if he was too injured to climb up.

Those that could, as he said, circled around, while other listened from their places across the camp.

"Our clan may have chased them off." Firestar began, his voice much stronger than he looked. "But this is not a battle we've won. All that can walk well, and aren't to badly injured, come here, those who have bad injuries, head to Cinderpelt's den. We need a hunting patrol, and we need one more cat to help Tanglepaw escort Emberpaw to find herbs."

With that, ThunderClan went about numbly following Firestar's orders, though they all still seemed to be in shock. Emberpaw made a quick note to get plenty of poppy-they were certainly going to need it. Slowly, warriors were filing up to Firestar and Brambleclaw, getting their orders and okays on where to go. So far, Brightheart, Hollypaw, and Dustpelt were in hunting duty. They still needed one more cat to help…

"I'm fine, Firestar." Emberpaw looked up to see the gray-black pelt of Sootfur, ruffled and torn as the rest, but he wasn't limping nearly as bad as Puddlepaw had been. "I'll go with Emberpaw and Tanglepaw."

Firestar nodded. "Good. Thank-you, Sootfur. You can go now, but all of you be careful. We don't know if they're still out there."

Sootfur nodded, and flicked his tail as a signal, leading Emberpaw and Tanglepaw out of camp. Once out, he dropped back. "Lead the way, Emberpaw." He meowed, nodding for her to take the lead. "Just show us where to go, and we'll do everything we can."

The small tortoiseshell nodded, and took the lead, chilled by the harsh breeze as they padded through the forest in search of herbs. She felt safe though, flanked on one side by the long-legged Tanglepaw, and on the other… By Sootfur, with his soot-colored pelt and dark amber eyes, ears pricked and alert. As they broke the trees by the lake, Emberpaw could almost feel hopeful. It was only leaf-fall, and they still had a few moons to replenish their herbs before leaf-bare set in. Surely ThunderClan would have time to recover. Her hope was short-lived though, as in the light of the rising sun, in the middle of leaf-fall, it began to snow.

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><p>So there is chapter 9! Thanks again to my reviewers, and I could really use some extra thoughts right about now;) lol. Constructive criticism is welcome, and feel free to give me any suggestions you may have on warrior names for any of the apprentices or couple ideas for any of the apprentices as well(: Until the next Chapter!<p> 


	10. ThunderClan, After The Attack

ThunderClan, After the ShadowClan/RiverClan Attack

**Leader**: **Firestar**- ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

Apprentice, Eaglepaw

**Deputy:** **Brambleclaw**- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Puddlepaw

**Medicine Cat:** **Cinderpelt**- dark gray she-cat

Apprentice, Emberpaw

**Warriors:** **Dustpelt**- dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Lilypaw

**Sandstorm**- pale ginger she-cat

Apprentice, Hollypaw

**Cloudtail**- long-haired white tom

Apprentice, Tanglepaw

**Brackenfur**- golden-brown tabby tom

**Brightheart**- white she-cat with ginger patches

**Ashfur**- pale gray (with dark flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

**Sootfur**- gray-black tom with amber eyes

**Squirrelflight**- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Leafpool**- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Crowfeather**- dark, smoky gray, almost black tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:** **Tanglepaw**- long-legged dark ginger tom with green eyes

**Puddlepaw**- pale, ashy gray tom with dark gray paws and blue eyes

**Eaglepaw**- dark, smoky gray, almost black tom with amber eyes

**Lilypaw**- light brown tabby she-cat with white legs and amber eyes

**Hollypaw**- light gray she-cat with black tabby stripes and ice blue eyes

**Emberpaw**- very small tortoiseshell she-cat with black ears, tail-tip, and paws (except for one white forepaw) and blue eyes.

**Queens:** **Ferncloud**- pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes, mother of Dustpelt's kits, (Nettlekit- gray tabby tom) and (Thrushkit- dark brown tabby she-cat)

**Sorreltail**- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Brackenfur's kits (Rainkit- dark gray tom), (Hazelkit- tortoiseshell she-cat), and (Rushkit- golden-brown tabby tom with white paws)

**Elders:** **Goldenflower**- pale ginger she-cat

**Longtail**- pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

**Mousefur**- small, dusky brown she-cat


	11. Snowfall

Alrighty, so here's the actual Chapter 10(: Just thought I should let you wonderful readers that are sticking with me see the devastation caused by that attack(: lol. So without further ado, here is chapter 10!

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><p>Tanglepaw let out a startled yowl, and Sootfur's amber eyes widened ever so slightly. "Snow…?" He murmured, gazing almost in wonder at the small white flakes as they fell.<p>

"Oh no…" was all Emberpaw managed. And then, "Quickly… We have to get everything we can before the ground gets cold enough to kill it all…!"

The two toms nodded, and followed the young tortoiseshell as she-cat set a quick pace, nose to the ground to sniff out the familiar, comforting herb-scents. _Help me, Spottedleaf… The clan needs these herbs…!_

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><p>Surprised exclamations rippled around the clearing, eyes wide as snow drifted from the sky.<p>

"Snow? In leaf-fall?" Sandstorm looked around with her ears pricked.

Brambleclaw's ears flattened. "This is bad…" He growled gravely.

"The snow has never come this early before…" Mousefur mused from outside the elders den. "Never…"

Crowfeather padded over to Eaglepaw, where he lay next to Lilypaw's still form. "Is she alright…?" Their father asked quietly, his voice hoarse like most all of the warriors.

"Yes." Eaglepaw nodded. "She just needs rest and medical attention, but Emberpaw said that I should stay with her here instead of moving her."

Crowfeather nodded. "Good." He paused, before giving his only son a look that was rare for the sharp-tongued warrior. "I'm proud of you, Eaglepaw. You may be too young of an apprentice to be given your warrior name, but you've earned it in every way that counts." Eaglepaw's amber eyes went wide as his father touched his nose to the top of his head. "You fought like a LionClan cat, Eaglepaw, and if any cat in ThunderClan dares to doubt your loyalty now…" He trailed off, whiskers twitching in amusement. "I'm sure you could handle them."

Eaglepaw purred. "Thank-you, Crowfeather." He dipped his head respectfully, touched at the praise.

His father gave him a brisk nod. "Now, don't let that get to your head. There's still work to be done."

Eaglepaw nodded, then blinked as she realized Lilypaw stirring beside him. "Hey…" He mewed softly, giving her shoulder a gentle lick. "Are you alright…?"

For a moment, she looked at him through dazed amber eyes, before leaping to her paws, looking around frantically. "Tanglepaw!" She exclaimed, turning a circle as she scanned the camp for the ginger apprentice.

"Hey, easy, easy…" Eaglepaw urged her, extending his paw. "He went to help Emberpaw gather herbs. The attackers completely destroyed her and Cinderpelt's stock."

"Oh…" Lilypaw relaxed slightly at that, ears and tail drooping with exhaustion as she sat back down. "He saved my life, you know…" She finally mewed, glancing up at Eaglepaw through shy amber eyes.

"Yeah." He purred, giving her a gentle head-butt. "I know. Now you just lay back down until they get back, alright…?"

Obviously tired, the light brown tabby nodded, and Eaglepaw let out a short sigh of relief. "Go ahead and head to the medicine den if you can walk." He urged her, sighing yet again when she nodded and limped slowly across the hollow to Cinderpelt's den.

Freed from watch duty, Eaglepaw looked back up, marveling at the snow. The last time it had snowed, he and his siblings had been too young to go outside and see, but now…

"Eaglepaw!"

The smoky gray apprentice looked up, ears perked as Firestar called to him, then padded over. "Yes, Firestar…?" He inquired, dipping his head respectfully to his Clan leader and mentor.

"I need you to help Brambleclaw move the dead, Eaglepaw. I know we've lost many, and their friends will want to sit vigil as soon as the can, before the snow gets too heavy."

Eaglepaw nodded, catching his mentor's serious mood. "Okay."

Brambleclaw got up and flicked his tail at Eaglepaw as a sign that he should follow, so the smoky apprentice did, padding wearily after their deputy. How many _had_ they lost…? His amber eyes darkened, as serious thoughts drifted through his head. _And how many more will we lose…?_

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><p>Emberpaw felt a light flash of hope as she dug into a marigold plant, finding plenty of healthy flowers and leaves. "This is great…" She mewed softly, getting as many as Tanglepaw could possibly hold, then doing the same for Sootfur. "Now I'll get some cobwebs and we'll head back to camp. But if it's okay I'll still need a little bit of help…"<p>

Both toms nodded, and she purred. "Thank-you."

Grabbing a large twig, the small tortoiseshell drug it through the roots of a tree, and beneath the trailing branches of bushes, collecting as much of the sticky webs as she could. Flicking her tail as a signal, she headed back in the direction of camp. When she entered, Emberpaw couldn't help but to stumble a bit, eyes wide as she took in the scene. ThunderClan had lost three warriors… And two apprentices. /they were lying in the middle of the camp, the few grieving cats that were well enough to mourn sitting vigil. Head bowed, Emberpaw mewed a swift prayer for them in her head as she passed, recognizing Thornclaw's golden-brown tabby pelt, Rainwhisker, and Spiderleg, as well as the two oldest apprentices, Birchpaw and Whitepaw.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Emberpaw saw Sootfur freeze, dark amber eyes clouding with grief at the sight of his lost brother. Giving him a gentle flick of her tail, Emberpaw led him and Tanglepaw to the medicine den, where they deposited their loads of herbs.

"Good." Cinderpelt nodded.

"I'm going to go back out." Emberpaw mewed, looking up at her mentor. "With this snow… I figured we should get as much as we can before the ground gets cold enough to freeze everything."

Cinderpelt nodded again, looking tired. "Yes," she agreed, "good thinking."

Exiting again, Emberpaw rested her black tail-tip on Sootfur's flank, giving him a sympathetic look. "You can mourn now, if you'd like…" She murmured softly. To her surprise, the gray-black warrior shook his head.

"Not yet." He meowed quietly. "There' still a lot to be done for the clan. Rainwhisker…" He paused, taking a deep breath. "Rainwhisker would want ThunderClan to be seen to first."

Emberpaw blinked her understanding, before continuing to the camp exit. There was so much to be done…!

"Tanglepaw!" All three cats turned around, only a tail-length out of camp when Cloudtail pushed his way through behind them, limping slightly, favoring his right front leg.

"It's great of you to help, but we really need fresh-kill right now, if you can spare him, Emberpaw."

The tortoiseshell thought for a moment, before nodding. "It should be fine. Me and Sootfur should be able to get it. The clan needs fresh-kill."

Cloudtail nodded, and padded off into the forest, Tanglepaw calling a quick good-bye before following.

"Alright, Emberpaw." Sootfur meowed, flicking her shoulder with his tail-tip. "Lead the way."

With a light purr, the young medicine cat apprentice set off, moving at a steady pace through the forest. Even as she did so though, she noticed the snow getting thicker under paw, the wind blowing with a distinct chill that cut straight through her tortoiseshell fur, the soft white flakes falling heavier and heavier.

_But ThunderClan can cope…_ She told herself as they trudged along. _We can make it through this…_ Emberpaw felt a flash of warmth as Sootfur's gray-black pelt brushed hers, padding beside her through the wind and snow. _One step at a time…_

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><p>And there is Chapter 10(: I hope you guys are enjoying this, and please let me know if you are or aren't(: And once again, I would like to know who the favorites are. Eaglepaw? Hollypaw? Emberpaw? Lilypaw? Puddlepaw? Tanglepaw? Let meh know, and I'll write a chapter in their POV(: Until the next Chapter~!<p> 


	12. Recovering

Chapter 11(:

Hollypaw sighed, depositing two mice and a blackbird on the fresh-kill pile, which so far only consisted of the rabbit that Dustpelt had caught. She had hardly put it down before Sandstorm padded over, cobwebs swathing her shoulders and ears.

"Bring those to the queens, will you…?" She motioned Hollypaw's mice and the blackbird, and the gray-and-black apprentice nodded.

"Of course."

Sandstorm's eyes flashed. "And Sorreltail has had her kits. Take care to take a peek when you go, I've heard they're precious." Hollypaw purred, giving her mentor a nod before picking up the fresh-kill again, this time heading towards the nursery. As she pushed her way in, the comforting milk-scent washed over her senses, making her sigh.

"Hello, Hollypaw." Brackenfur mewed in greeting, his eyes bright with pride as he watched over his mate and kits.

"Hello." She purred back, dropping her prey. "This is for Sorreltail and Ferncloud."

Ferncloud purred. "Thank-you, Hollypaw."

Hollypaw tilted her head, catching sight of a small, gray tabby form peeking over Ferncloud's tail. "That can't be Nettlekit…" She meowed, disbelieving.

Ferncloud purred again, and Nettlekit squeaked an objection. "It sure is…" Ferncloud's green eyes glowed with all of her motherly care. Thrushkit, Nettlekit's smaller, dark brown tabby sister, peeked over their mother's tail as well.

"They've grown so much!" Hollypaw noted, and Ferncloud nodded, dragging one of the mice towards her to eat.

The apprentice turned to Sorreltail, who was sleepily licking her own kits. "And how are yours…?" She mewed, padding closer to peek at the small scraps of fur.

Sorreltail purred. "Strong and healthy."

Hoolypaw purred softly, gazing at the three little kits. Two toms and a she-cat. The first with dark gray fur, much like Sorreltail's lost brother Rainwhisker, the little she-cat almost an exact copy of her mother's tortoiseshell fur, and the other tom looking identical to Brackenfur, save for the small white paws. "They're beautiful…"

Brackenfur nudged the other mouse and the blackbird towards his mate. "You should eat now, Sorreltail." He urged her quietly. "You need all of your strength."

Dipping her head in farewell, Hollypaw backed out of the nursery, sighing quietly once she was out. _Will I ever get to have kits…?_ Hollypaw immediately shook the thought from her head. _No._ She told herself. _If I want to be ThunderClan's leader, I can't be stuck in the nursery with kits. I have to be strong for my clan._

She sighed, gazing at the fresh-kill pile, which once again consisted of only a rabbit. The snow was piling up quickly, and all of the prey was bound to be hiding in its burrows, safe from the cold. _And from us… Mouse-dung…_

"Hollypaw!" Sandstorm was calling across the clearing, padding towards her apprentice.

"Yes, Sandstorm…?" Hollypaw perked up, awaiting her mentor's orders.

"Firestar wants us to take the sunhigh patrol." She mewed as she got closer. "Who else should we take?"

Hollypaw thought for a moment. "Well," she mused thoughtfully. "Dustpelt was on that first hunting patrol with me, and Crowfeather has already had medical attention."

Sandstorm nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking."

Calling to Crowfeather and Dustpelt, Sandstorm led the way out, heading towards the ShadowClan border. Hollypaw got a slight chill down her spine thinking about it… How ShadowClan and RiverClan had united against them, for no apparent reason, attacking so suddenly and viciously that ThunderClan was almost defeated. _But would they have stopped at defeat…? They had already killed five… Would they have let us surrender…?_ And the part that scared Hollypaw the most about that question, was that she didn't have an answer.

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><p>"Ah!" Emberpaw let out a triumphant yowl as she uncovered a thriving borage plant. Carefully, she bit the stems of the leaves, breaking off plenty. <em>Sorreltail will need these…<em> It was a bonus that borage had multiple uses, such as putting down fever and healing infections.

"Here, Emberpaw." The tortoiseshell turned, blue eyes wide with surprise as Sootfur dropped a large rabbit in front of her. "You've been working nonstop all day. The clan needs you to keep up your strength, Emberpaw…" He nudged it closer, his amber eyes warm.

"Th-Thank-you…" She stammered, feeling her heart flutter at the handsome tom's kind gesture.

_That's all it was…_ She told herself firmly. _ He's right, anyways… I need to be strong for my clan…_

Keeping those thoughts in her head, Emberpaw crouched down and tucked into the rabbit, realizing as she took that first, wonderful bite, how hungry she truly was. Sootfur flicked his tail-tip across her shoulder, before moving past her to continue collecting the borage leaves. Despite her hunger, the small she-cat only managed half of the large rabbit before she was beginning to feel full, and there was still so much to do.

"That should be enough, Sootfur." The meowed to the soot-colored tom, who nodded. "Would you like to help me finish this…?" The small tortoiseshell felt self-conscious even saying it, though she told herself over and over that it wasn't for any reason other than the fact that Sootfur needed to eat just as much as she did.

"Are you sure…?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Of course." Emberpaw assured him, then she purred. "That rabbit had to be at least as big as me, I should have known I wouldn't be able to finish the whole thing. Besides," she added, "You've been working just as hard as I have all day. ThunderClan needs _you_ to keep _your_ strength up as well."

Sootfur's whisker's twitched in a amusement. "Yeah, I guess so." He crouched down next to the young medicine cat apprentice, his soot-gray pelt just barely brushing hers as he made quick work of the remains of that rabbit.

Once the fresh-kill was taken care of, the two cats got back to work, hastily trying to squeeze in one more trip before the sun set completely. When they finally stopped, Emberpaw sighed, dropping the last batch of herbs for that day in the medicine den.

"Thank-you, Sootfur…" She mewed quietly. "For helping me today…"

Sootfur let out a soft purr. "It's no problem, Emberpaw. If you want, I can help out tomorrow, too."

The tortoiseshell shuffled her front paws self-consciously, giving the gray-black warrior a nod. "That would be… Nice…" His amber eyes were bright as he dipped his head in agreement.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Emberpaw."

"See you…" She murmured, watching him pad away, stopping in the middle of the clearing to finally sit vigil with his brother still form under the light of Silverpelt. "Sootfur…"

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><p>And there you have Chapter 11(: Thanks for reading everyone! I'll probably have Chapters 12 and 13 up today as well, if all goes as planned:D<p> 


	13. Strength

Chapter 12(:

The next day, Lilypaw woke to the sound of Firestar's summons. Yawning, Lilypaw pushed her way out of the apprentice den, seeing the rest of ThunderClan gathering around the High-Ledge. They were looking rough, Lilypaw noted, swathed in cobwebs and matted fur. Even Firestar seemed dull, his fiery pelt hanging in clumps from his strong shoulders.

"Cats of ThunderClan, I've called this meeting for a serious discussion."

Lilypaw quickly joined the group, noticing Tanglepaw watching her carefully, as he were worried about her. He even slid closer to sit next to her.

"We are weak right now." Firestar admitted, his tail-tip twitching. "And we cannot stay that way for long, or ShadowClan and RiverClan may think that they can take advantage of it."

Yowls of protest broke out through the clearing, and Lilypaw couldn't help but to agree, sinking her claws into the ground. She would show any ShadowClan warrior just how clever _that_ idea would be if they put so much as a whisker over the border! Firestar raised his tail for silence.

"Now, in order to get stronger as soon as possible," he mewed. "We need to hunt, before this snow makes it too cold. The prey is probably already hiding, and we need the fresh-kill now more than ever. The elders and queens are to be seen to first, and then Cinderpelt and Emberpaw. After that, eat what you need to keep your strength up, because I get the feeling that we haven't seen the last of ShadowClan… Or RiverClan."

Dustpelt stepped forward. "And what about WindClan?" He demanded. "It wasn't that long ago that they were trying to drive us out as well."

Murmurs of agreement swept through the clan, and Firestar once again called for silence. "We'll keep up the patrols on their side of the border as well." He agreed. "But no border patrol is just a border patrol at the moment. Even border patrols will be hunting patrols. We must strengthen the clan. Starting with the dawn patrol, Brambleclaw."

With that, Firestar leapt down from the High-Ledge, padding over to Eaglepaw.

"Are you okay?"

Lilypaw glanced at Tanglepaw, eyes slightly wide with surprise. "What? Me? I'm fine." She meowed indignantly, turning her head slightly away.

Tanglepaw just purred, giving her a gentle head-butt. "Stupid fur-ball…" Lilypaw felt electricity shoot through her fur as his dark green eyes met her own amber, an unfamiliar look in them. "I was scared, you know…" He mewed quietly, taking a step closer to her, so that their noses were almost touching. "When I saw you laying there…" He paused, a light shudder passing through his body. "When I thought I might lose you…"

Lilypaw purred softly, flicking her tail-tip over his mouth. "Stupid fur-ball…"

Tanglepaw returned the purr, resting his muzzle against the light tabby she-cat's. Lilypaw felt that electricity shoot through her fur again, at the closeness of the difficult ginger tom.

"Tanglepaw! Lilypaw!"

The two apprentices jumped apart at the sound of Cloudtail's voice, Tanglepaw letting out a sigh of frustration, his claws sinking into the ground. "Yes, Cloudtail?" He ground out, obviously exasperated. Lilypaw felt her whiskers twitch in amusement.

"Stop standing around like a bunch of love-struck rabbits and come on. We're going hunting." The long-haired white warrior didn't wait for an answer, trotting across the camp to join Dustpelt at the thorn barrier. Tanglepaw rolled his eyes. "Like you don't spend from sunhigh to sunset mooning over Brightheart…"

Lilypaw rolled her own eyes, purring in amusement. "Let's go." She flicked her tail across the long-legged apprentice's ear, before bounding across to join the rest of the hunting patrol, kicking up tufts powdery snow as she went. Already ThunderClan was beginning to recover. Though despite the overwhelming sense of normality, Lilypaw couldn't shake the feeling of dread seeping through her tabby pelt. All was not well. Not yet.

They hunted until sunhigh had come and gone, bringing as much as they possibly could back to the camp, since the snow had only been falling for two days now, they found plenty enough prey to feed the whole clan twice. Lilypaw had to admit, Tanglepaw was quite the hunter… Almost as good as she herself. Depositing her last batch of fresh-kill, Lilypaw decided to take a piece to Cinderpelt and Emberpaw. All day, they had been busy collecting and sorting herbs, tending to wounds not yet healed and wounds reopened throughout the day. But as she reached for the water vole she knew that her sister would fancy, the dark, gray-black form of Sootfur beat her to it.

"Oh, Sootfur…" She hesitated, slightly unsure of how to tell him what she intended without making it seem as if he couldn't have the water vole. "I was going to take that to Emberpaw…"

The gray-pelted warrior's ears flicked, and he placed the before mentioned vole on the ground. "That's where I was taking it." He mewed, his tail-tip flicking with slight impatience. "She and Cinderpelt have been at it all day, and I finally got her to admit that she was hungry, so I offered to fetch her a water vole."

Lilypaw paused, before purring in amusement. "I thought she might like one after a long day like this." She agreed. "Go on then, and don't forget to bring something for Cinderpelt, too."

The young warrior looked as if he might object to an apprentice telling him what to do, but Lilypaw had already picked up a plump mouse for herself and padded to the apprentice den before he could say anything.

Choosing a sunny spot outside of the apprentice den, Lilypaw tucked into her mouse, joined shortly by Tanglepaw and Hollypaw, each with their own piece of fresh-kill.

"I see hunting was good today." Hollypaw commented, situating herself to one side of Lilypaw as Tanglepaw sat on her other.

"Fantastic." Lilypaw purred. "I just wish it could stay this way…" She took another bite of her fresh-kill, and Tanglepaw nodded.

"Yeah, now that they've seen how good of a hunter I am, they'll all definitely be hiding in their burrows."

"Oh please." Lilypaw rolled her eyes, and Tanglepaw let out a playful growl, abandoning his meal to pounce on the unsuspecting tabby apprentice. They wrestled for a moment, before Tanglepaw easily pinned her down.

"I win." He touched his nose to hers, before she rolled her eyes.

"Get off of me you great lump of fur…!" Purring, Tanglepaw obliged, returning to his meal, leaving Lilypaw to shake the dust out of her fur. "Now look, you look more like "dust"-pelt that Dustpelt does!" With another eye roll, Lilypaw padded over to sit next to Tanglepaw, gently grooming his fur as he finished his meal. Hollypaw's whiskers twitched, and Lilypaw shot her a glare.

_Don't even go there…_ But her own whiskers were twitching. As the sun went down, she saw Firestar padding up the path to the High-Ledge. Just as she noticed this, Brambleclaw and Puddlepaw came through the thorn entrance, the ashy gray apprentice immediately broke off to rush over to his brother.

"Tanglepaw, you won't believe what Brambleclaw just told me…!" For once, the calmer of the two brothers seemed ready to jump out of his fur, though his ears were still covered in cobwebs, as well as his front legs and one hid leg.

Tanglepaw jumped up. "What?"

Before either could speak, Firestar's call rang out across the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather hear beneath the High-Ledge for a clan meeting!" Puddlepaw cast Tanglepaw an excited look before giving him a nudge. "Come on, you'll see."

Curious, the apprentices joined the gathering clan around the High-Ledge.

"Tomorrow, ThunderClan will attend the gathering." Murmurs broke out around the clearing at this announcement, many of agreement, though a few voices seemed doubtful. "And we will attend it two warriors stronger." Firestar continued, his voice drowning out the mumbles of the clan. "Puddlepaw, Tanglepaw, step forward.

Tanglepaw's green eyes blazed, and even Puddlepaw's blue eyes were sparking.

"Brambleclaw, Cloudtail, are you satisfied that these apprentices are fit to become warriors?"

"Yes." Brambleclaw spoke strongly, his voice loud and clear. "Yes." Cloudtail echoed, his chest puffed out with pride.

"Then I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have worked hard to learn your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Puddlepaw, Tanglepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of lives?"

"I do." Tanglepaw meowed, chin held high. "I do." Puddlepaw echoed, his voice more quiet, but just as strong.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names: Tanglepaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Tangleclaw. StarClan honors your spirit and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." He rested his head on Tangleclaw's head, and the ginger tom gave his leader's shoulder a respectful lick. "Puddlepaw, from this moment forward, you will be known as Puddlestep. StarClan honors your bravery and your quick-thinking, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." He rested his head on Puddlestep's ashy gray head, and the new warrior licked Firestar's shoulder respectfully in

"Tangleclaw! Puddlestep! Tangleclaw! Puddlestep!"

Lilypaw was the first to call Tangleclaw by his new name, rushing forward and pushing her nose into his dark ginger pelt, a purr rumbling in her chest. He was purring just as hard, blinked fondly at the lithe, light brown tabby as she congratulated him.

"As per ritual, our new warriors will stand guard over the camp tonight. Get a good night's sleep, every one, we must appear as strong as possible tomorrow at the gathering."

With that, cats began retreating to their dens, and Lilypaw couldn't help but to sigh as she realized that Tangle_claw_ would be sleeping in the warriors' den now…

She yawned, curling up in her nest, tucking her tail over her nose as she thought wistfully of Tangleclaw. _Just… Don't forget about me, Tangleclaw…_

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><p>Aww, I'm growing rather fond of that Lilypaw X Tangleclaw pairing(: And thank-you, Wolfheart911 for reviewing(: Now, I need some help, and I can't really post the next few chapters yet, because of my debate… First, who should get Emberpaw? (Yes, Emberpaw xD) And right now, I'm debating between Puddlepaw (well, Puddlestep now:P) and Sootfur. Or, of course, if you have any other suggestions, I'll certainly take them into consideration(: And perhaps even <em>more<em> important to the next chapter, is which apprentices should get to go to the Gathering(: So help me out please, by reviewing or PMing, either way works for me(: Thanks again to my reviewers, lots of love*


	14. Update

Hey(: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated, to those of you reading this story* There's only 7 ½ day left of school over here, and I really want to keep this story going… But I can't post the new chapters until I get at least one review, because I need to know what you guys think. First, who should get Emberpaw? Right now, I can't decide between Puddlestep and Sootfur, because I could see both working really well. And I also need to know who should get to go to the gathering (besides Tangleclaw and Puddlestep, of course… lol.) So, please, please review… I'm not quite sure what to do right now, and I really need the help… Please and thank-you, and thanks for reading! Lots of love*


	15. The Gathering

Chapter 13! -And special thanks to Bramble and me. Squirrelflight and LoveofWarriors1998 for reviewing, you definitely helped my decision(: Without further ado, on with Chapter 13*

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><p>Eaglepaw took a deep breath, kneading his paws nervously against the ground in front of him as he waited for his turn to cross the fallen tree that led onto the island. Beside him, Puddlestep sat patiently, ears pricked as he waited, seeming to already be listening to all of the conversations going on. With an amused twitch of his whiskers, the newly-made warrior glanced at Eaglepaw.<p>

"Nervous?"

Eaglepaw self-consciously stopped kneading his paws, but nodded anyways. "A little bit…" He admitted. The new warrior purred, flicking his tail-tip against the smoky gray apprentice's flank.

"Don't worry about it," Puddlestep began, but before he could finish, Tangleclaw pushed his way to stand on Eaglepaw's other side.

"Yeah," the ginger tom chimed in. "You'll get to meet all kinds of new cats! Unfortunately," he continued dryly, "since it's a Gathering, which is held in peace, we have to pretend to like the cats that were clawing us to shreds just a few days ago!"

Puddlestep flashed his brother a warning look, and a soft growl from Ashfur- their father- quickly had Tangleclaw shutting his mouth.

"Eaglepaw." The apprentice looked up as Crowfeather called for him, signaling with his tail that it was his turn to cross. Taking one last, calming breath, Eaglepaw jumped up and padded across the tree-bridge and onto the island. Firestar met him there, giving the young tom an understanding look.

"Are you ready, Eaglepaw?" Eaglepaw nodded, bracing himself. "And remember," Firestar meowed quietly. "Make as many friends here as you can. This is a chance to learn your enemies, you should do so well. You may need the knowledge on day." Eaglepaw nodded, before following his leader and mentor into his first gathering.

Eaglepaw was instantly amazed upon entering the main clearing. All around him were warriors of other clans, though by scent he could tell that only WindClan and ShadowClan had arrived so far. Taking a deep breath, Eaglepaw prepared himself to go and meet the other apprentices, but Tangleclaw stopped him.

"Come on." He urged. "Let me introduce you to a few of my friends." Eaglepaw blinked gratefully at him, glad not to be stranded on his own in unfamiliar territory. Without any hesitation, Tanglepaw led the smoky gray apprentice through the throngs of queens and warriors, off to the side where Puddlestep was already talking to a small group of WindClan and RiverClan cats. Two, he noticed, bore many scars, while a few of the others looked much like apprentices themselves. A ginger tom with white paws leapt to his feet as Tangleclaw approached, tail raised in greeting.

"Hey! I heard that you two were made warriors, too!"

"Weaselpaw!" Tangleclaw greeted warmly. The warrior- WindClan by the scent of it- shook his head. "It's Weasel_fur_ now."

Tangleclaw purred. "Congratulations!" He meowed, giving his WindClan friend a light head-butt.

"Who's your friend?" A dark gray tom piped up, looking curiously at Eaglepaw. The younger apprentice shuffled his paws self-consciously, and Puddlestep purred.

"This is Eaglepaw. Eaglepaw, this is Smokefoot of ShadowClan," He motioned the gray tom who had spoken. "Weaselfur of WindClan," the ginger tom, "Cedarheart of ShadowClan," he motioned another dark-furred tom, this one with fresh scars from their fight just a few days ago. "And…" He trailed off as his blue-eyed gaze came to rest on the small, black-and-white she-cat seated next to the senior-looking warrior.

Cedarheart purred, almost a different cat than the one Eaglepaw had met in battle. _Is this what the full-moon truce means…?_ "This is my apprentice," The gray warrior was explaining, gazing proudly down at the small she-cat. "Rosepaw." Eaglepaw turned his attention to smaller apprentice, sizing her up. She was small and slender, with a blend of black and white that almost made it seem as if her fur had started out jet black, and the white had formed later. Her eyes were what really caught his attention though, a striking, pale, icy-blue.

"Hello…" She mewed shyly, ducking her head.

Tangleclaw's whiskers twitched in slight amusement at her shy greeting. "First Gathering, huh?" She nodded. "Don't worry," the dark ginger warrior continued. "It's Eaglepaw's first gathering, too."

Eaglepaw dipped his head in greeting, and the black-and-white apprentice murmured another small "hello". The ThunderClan apprentice opened his mouth to say something, but Firestar's call from the great tree at the center of the clearing cut him off, summoning cats of all clans as RiverClan finally arrived.

"Come on." He meowed instead, padding off to get a better seat. Much to his surprise, the ShadowClan apprentice followed, shyly sitting next to him. Eaglepaw flicked his tail against her shoulder in a reassuring way, much like he would have done to any new ThunderClan apprentice sitting next to him. The action itself confused the young tom, and as he pretended to listen to the four leaders speaking from the tree branches, he pondered on it. Wondering what made gatherings so different… He glanced at Rosepaw again, her pale eyes trained on the leaders above them, ears pricked as she listened. He quickly shook his head though, shaking himself out of his thoughts. He was there to watch and learn… Not really to make "friends"… But sitting next to the pretty ShadowClan apprentice, Eaglepaw found himself realizing that he really wouldn't mind getting to know the quiet she-cat better…

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><p>Emberpaw sighed, getting up and stretching as the gathering came to a close. She cast a glance at Sootfur, who had stayed dutifully beside her since she had requested help gathering herbs. She was worried by the fresh pain in his amber eyes, which had really begun to show when Firestar had announced the lives lost in battle.<p>

"Are you okay…?" She asked the older warrior softly, gazing up into his eyes. He offered a small flick of his tail.

"I'm fine, Emberpaw." He reassured her. The tortoiseshell apprentice merely sighed again, giving him a reluctant nod. All around them, cats of other clans were withdrawing, murmuring to each other about the gathering, meowing farewells to friends that they wouldn't see again until the next gathering. Sootfur mewed a quick farewell to the black RiverClan tom sitting next to him before turning back to Emberpaw, and the two made their way to the tree-bridge.

"So what do you think of the gathering?"

Emberpaw started as she realized that Sootfur was talking to her. "Oh…" She began, then she sighed. "I feel that the clans are very uneasy…" She mumbled, gazing down. The handsome gray-black warrior gave her a gentle nudge with his nose.

"Come on…" He urged softly. "We can talk more on the way back." She nodded, hopping up to cross the great tree-bridge. As she did so, the small apprentice was acutely aware of Sootfur's presence behind her, his breath soft on her flank as he followed her across, as if her were making sure that she wouldn't fall. As she reached the other side, she glanced back, noticing Eaglepaw murmuring a quick farewell to a black-and-white apprentice that the medicine cat didn't recognize. She shook it off though, jumping down to the solid ground on the other side, Sootfur shortly joining her.

"Let's go." The tom meowed softly, flicking her ear with his tail-tip. Emberpaw nodded, padding beside him, feeling her heart stutter as his soot-gray pelt just barely brushed her own. Things _were_ getting tense with the other clans… With ShadowClan and RiverClan acting as if nothing ever happened, and the early snow-fall quickly building, bringing the earliest leaf-bare that the clans had ever seen… _And now…_ The small medicine cat apprentice thought quietly, _I can't stop thinking about Sootfur…_ She glanced at the strong warrior as she thought about him, and he returned her blue-eyed gaze evenly with his own steady ambers, something smoldering just beneath the surface that made Emberpaw's breath catch in her chest. _Could it be… That maybe he can't stop thinking about me, either…?_

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><p>And there is Chapter 13! I know it's been forever and a day since I last updated, and I'm very, very sorry… Only a few days left now! Then I'll be up-dating alllll the time(: Reviews are welcome* And thanks again to <span>Bramble and me. Squirrelflight<span> and Loveofwarriors1998 for reviewing! You've helped me so much(: Lots of love*


	16. Hardships

Chapter 14*

Lilypaw took a deep breath, pushing her way out into the snowy morning, shivering as she sank belly-deep in the flakes piled around the apprentice's den. Hollypaw pushed her way out behind her, letting out a soft exclamation of "Brr!" as she also sank up to her belly fur.

"You're telling me…" Lilypaw muttered, pushing her way through to the fresh-kill pile, which to her dismay, she found empty. "Mouse-dung…"

"Lilypaw!"

The tabby looked up, seeing Dustpelt just pushing his way through the camp entrance, followed by Sandstorm and Brackenfur. "Yes, Dustpelt?"

He pushed his way through the snow, dropping a scrawny mouse where the fresh-kill pile should have been. "I've been out with the moon-high patrol, and I'm due for the sun-high. You are to hunt today. The clan needs the food." Lilypaw nodded.

"Yes, Dustpelt." She meowed. She turned to Hollypaw. "Want to come with?" The gray and black tabby glanced at Sandstorm for permission, before nodding. "Sure. Of course."

"Let's make a patrol then." Both she-cats jumped as Tangleclaw padding over from the warriors den, shaking bits of moss from his dark ginger pelt.

"Great." Lilypaw rolled her eyes. "With this one lumbering about we won't catch _anything_."

Tangleclaw let out a mock-growl, leaping the distance between them and bowling the lithe tabby over. "We'll see about that, now won't we?" He meowed, easily pinning Lilypaw beneath him. Hollypaw shuffled her paws.

"Can we go now…?"

Lilypaw sighed, pushing the ginger tom off of her. "Yeah, let's get going."

Tangleclaw jumped up, trotting to the entrance. "First one to catch 5 pieces of prey wins…!"

Lilypaw purred, bounding past him and into the forest. "You're on!"

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><p>Hollypaw sighed, gazing after her sister and Tangleclaw as the raced away, intent on their games. More slowly, she padded after them, lost in thought. <em>Is everything a game to him?<em> She shook her head, opening her mouth to the scents of the snow-encrusted forest. It had been 2 moons since the fight with ShadowClan and RiverClan, and the weather had only gotten worse. The other clans had all been keen to mind their own business since then, all 4 struggling for food. The rivers had frozen, the ground was solid… Hollypaw shivered. _If this keeps up we're going to starve…_

A twig snapped, and Hollypaw perked, looking up to see a squirrel rooting beneath a bare bush, looking for its stash of food. Silent as a mouse, Hollypaw slid into a hunting crouch, slowly slinking forward until she knew she wouldn't miss. With a powerful jump, the gray-and-black tabby pounced, easily taking out the scrawny creature. _Even the squirrels are getting slow…_ With a troubled sigh, Hollypaw buried her fresh-kill there, to come back for later. She turned to continue on, only to freeze, ears pricked, body tense.

_Dog…_ She knew the scent, she just couldn't tell how close it was. Suddenly worried, Hollypaw clawed her way up the nearest tree, looking around. The fur along her spine rose as she saw what she had scented. A dog. Bigger than any she had ever seen before, with jet black fur along its back, everything from its chest down as white as the snow it trod through, leaving huge paw prints behind it.

Her ice blue eyes widened. _That thing could kill a cat just by _stepping_ on it!_ A low whistle came through the trees, and the dog perked up, its fluffy tail curling over its back and wagging. _That must be its twoleg…_ Hollypaw thought with an inward sigh of relief. And sure enough, the huge dog bounded back through the trees, moving farther and farther from the ThunderClan camp. _I'll have to report that to Brambleclaw and Firestar._

With that, Hollypaw leapt from the tree, landing softly and easily in the snow beneath. "Now to keep hunting." She mewed to herself. "ThunderClan needs the food."

As the young apprentice pushed onward though, she realized the snow falling even harder, almost to the point that she could barely see a paw-step ahead of herself. _Fox-dung…_

"Hollypaw!" Lilypaw's yowl barely reached Hollypaw through the raging wind, and the gray and black she-cat didn't see her sister until they were almost nose to nose. "Come on!" She yowled, ears flattened against the driving snow. "We need to head back! There's no way we can hunt in this! We'll freeze to death!"

Hollypaw shook her head. "The clan _needs_ the food!" She insisted, raising her voice above the howl of the wind.

"It also needs all of its warriors."

Hollypaw turned to see Puddlestep pushing his way towards them, a patrol- consisting of himself, Crowfeather, and Brightheart- behind him. Tangleclaw was there as well, carrying a thin rabbit and an even scrawnier sparrow.

"We can gather your fresh-kill from the snow once this storm eases off, but until then it's too dangerous to be out here…" He gazed upward, his clear blue eyes seeming deep in thought.

"Okay…" Hollypaw muttered, following the ashy gray tom as he lead the way back to camp. Along the way, she almost had to stop, wondering… Just when exactly had Puddlestep become so wise. He led them along calmly, shoulders squared against the onslaught of snow and wind. _Looks like I have some competition for being the leader of ThunderClan…_ She mused silently, pushing her way onward. She forced the thought out of her mind though, looking around her at her Clan-Mates. Lilypaw and Tangleclaw struggled along side by side, pelts pushed together to share warmth. Crowfeather padded beside her, occasionally giving her a glance to make sure she was getting along okay, while Brightheart trudged next to Puddlestep, asking him when he thought it would be safe to hunt again, and whether or not he thought they should be sending out more patrols. But looking around, Hollypaw couldn't help but to realize how thin her Clan-mates were getting… She could almost count Tangleclaw's ribs as he bounded forward to help Lilypaw out of a particularly deep patch of snow, and Crowfeather's smoky fur seemed dull, Puddlestep's ashy gray pelt hanging in ragged, snow-encrusted clumps.

She cast her gaze downward, pushing on… But a faint fear began to linger in her heart. Was ThunderClan going to survive this challenge…? She closed her eyes, digging her claws into the ground. _Or are we ALL going to starve to death…?_

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><p>Uh-ohh…. Lol. Well, let me know who your favorite is, and I'm open to recommendations on future couples, as well as future warrior names;) Can't wait to update my next chapter!<p> 


	17. The Right Thing

Chapter 15(:

Wind whispered softly through the trees as Emberpaw padded quietly through the snow-laden forest, out to find more herbs… And to clear her mind. Lately, the small apprentice had found it hard to focus, even when taking trips to the Moonpool…

She paused, sniffing the air as she caught the faintest trace of… Emberpaw's ears pricked up. _Squirrel…!_

Not a moment after she thought it, a streak of russet fur shot past her, and Emberpaw didn't even bother to give chase. She certainly was in no shape to race that piece of prey… She shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. _Honey and juniper berries…_ She told herself. _Honey and juniper berries…!_ Ferncloud's kits, Nettlekit and Thrushkit, had been complaining of bellyaches for almost a week, and Sorreltail had two complaining of sore throats. Cinderpelt was already fretting about green-cough… And-

"Emberpaw…!" The tortoiseshell she-cat felt electricity tingle down her spine as an all-too-familiar voice reached her ears, all of her current thoughts abruptly swept out of her head.

She turned, blue eyes widening as she saw Sootfur padding towards her, a squirrel hanging from his jaws. "Sootfur…" She greeted him warmly, blinking shyly at the gray-black warrior. He stepped closer, gently placing the squirrel at her paws, and with a slight start, Emberpaw realized that it was the very one that had bolted past her earlier. _It must have run straight into Sootfur…_

"Here." He meowed, nudging it closer. "You need to keep your strength up." The warrior's darker fur was fluffed up against the chilled breeze and snow, but even through that, Emberpaw could see the faintest traces of his ribs. Suddenly, she longed to push her nose into his gray-black pelt… To share what little warmth they had.

"So do you…" Emberpaw murmured, looking up at the strong tom, who merely purred in amusement. His amber eyes were warm as he took another step, doing as Emberpaw had only just been thinking of, pushing his nose into her tortoiseshell fur.

"Don't be silly…" He purred. "I'm not the medicine cat… ThunderClan needs you…"

"But-" Emberpaw objected, feeling sparks flying where Sootfur's muzzle brushed her shoulder. He paused for a moment, before rasping his tongue gently over her ear.

"I need you." He whispered softly, causing the young medicine cat to freeze, blue eyes wide.

"But Sootfur…!" She gasped, scrambling back a few paces, her heart pounding in her chest, like a hummingbird trapped within the hollow of a tree. "I'm a medicine cat…"

Sootfur shook his head, sitting down and glaring at the snow beneath his paws. "… I know…" He finally managed. "I just…" He looked up at her, his amber eyes burning into her bright blue. "I can't stop thinking about you. And I know… You're still just an apprentice, and you're a medicine cat… But you're bound to get your warrior—well, medicine cat, name soon… You're just a few moons younger than Puddlestep and Tangleclaw, and…" He trailed off, sinking his claws into the snowy ground beneath his paws. "Can't you see, Emberpaw…? I-"

Emberpaw shook her head, stepping closer to the gray-black warrior. "Oh, Sootfur…" She mewed softly, pushing head her under his chin, inhaling his scent as her heart ached at what she knew she had to say. "I _do_ see…" She told him, closing her eyes as she took another deep breath, stepping back. "But you can't… I…" She shook her head again. "I'm a medicine cat… I… I'm sorry Sootfur…"

Feeling her heart tearing in two inside her chest, Emberpaw shook her head again, turning and fleeing from that clearing, and those burning amber eyes of his that she had come to love… And the hurt held within them as she turned him down. Without realizing it, the young tortoiseshell found herself at the shore of the lake, and she sat there, gazing down at her paws with a heavy heart.

_I've done the right thing…_ She told herself again and again. _Being with Sootfur… It…_ Her heart ached even as she thought of the young ThunderClan warrior. _It would only cause trouble… We… We could never be together…_ And with paws of lead and a broken heart, Emberpaw continued her hunt for the herbs Cinderpelt had requested… Doing her best not to think of the gray-black tom, or the feelings that she knew she had for him.

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><p><em>You're not getting away from me so easily...! <em>Eaglepaw inwardly growled as he tore through the snowy forest, hot on the trail of a young, plump rabbit. He could still see its tufty white tail bouncing though the dead undergrowth. _This is the perfect chance for my assessment… Firestar will have to make me a warrior after a hunt like this…!_ He thought momentarily of the prey he had already caught on this assignment, that being a vole, 2 mice, and a blackbird. _And now…_ He picked up his pace, low to the ground, using his claws to propel him forward. _This rabbit…!_

The smoky gray apprentice lost sight of it, but only for a moment, before a flash of blinding white caught his eye. _Got you._ Without another moment of hesitation, Eaglepaw pounced, landing squarely on top of his prey.

"Hey!"

Eaglepaw hastily jumped back, realizing with a rush of embarrassment that he had not pounced on the rabbit he had been chasing, but another cat instead. As he opened his mouth to apologize, the smoky gray apprentice froze, the overpowering scent of ShadowClan suddenly hitting the young tom. _Oh no…_ He thought, preparing for a fight. _I must have chased it right over the border…_

"I guess you were after that rabbit, too, huh?"

Eaglepaw looked up with a start, seeing none other and Rosepaw sitting there in front of him, lazily licking her paw before drawing it over her ears.

"Rosepaw…!" He exclaimed, fighting the urge to purr. He then stopped, embarrassment washing over him again. "Sorry about that… Yeah, I was chasing that rabbit, and I guess I ending up running it right over the border…"

The pretty black-and-white apprentice purred in amusement. "Sounds just like a clumsy ThunderClan apprentice." Before Eaglepaw could feel hurt by the comment though, she flicked her tail over his ear, the teasing glint in her eyes taking the sting off of her words.

"Rosepaw!"

Eaglepaw froze, as did Rosepaw, her ears pricked and alert. "That's Cedarheart." She hissed quietly. "You should be going now."

Eaglepaw nodded, hastily backing up across the border. As her turned over the border though, she called him back, hissing a quick, "Eaglepaw…!" as he stepped over the border. The smoky gray tom turned back, pricking his ears in curiosity. The ShadowClan apprentice's whiskers twitched, and she calling quietly, teasingly, "And next, try to keep the rabbit on _your_ side of the border, okay…?"

Eaglepaw rolled his eyes, but purred in amusement, waving his tail in a quick farewell as he bounded back through the trees, safe in ThunderClan's hunting grounds long before Cedarheart caught up with his apprentice. Eaglepaw spent the rest of that day walking on clouds, and found himself suddenly itching to be at the next gathering, if only to see Rosepaw again.

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><p>And there is Chapter 15(: I hope you're enjoying! As of right now, I definitely know which direction I'm going to take this, though reader input is always welcome(: Thanks again to <span>Loveofwarriors1998<span> for reviewing again(: Until the next chapter!


	18. Pulling Through

Chapter 16! And let me tell you, never think "yay, summer, now I can focus on my fanfictions!" because I did, and look where it got me… Who knew that AP English would be so… boring -_- Anyways! On with the story! Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys are great:D

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><p>Puddlestep couldn't help but to shiver as he pushed his way out into the cold morning. The sun hadn't even come up yet, the pale, pre-dawn light giving everything a bluish glow. All around him, the camp was still sleeping, the faint sounds of snoring and restless shifting accompanying the early-rising songbirds—as well as muffled coughs and sneezes. Leaf-bare had truly set in now, bringing with it more snow and the worst cases of green-cough ThunderClan had ever seen.<p>

The young warrior sighed. Their patrols had become so small lately, with so many cats ill and confined to the medicine den. Dustpelt, Sootfur, Leafpool… And even Tangleclaw had succumbed to the illness, as well as Sorreltail, and one of her tiny kits—and one of Ferncloud's. Just yesterday Brightheart had been diagnosed with the preliminary illness, white-cough.

_ThunderClan will pull through…_ The ashy warrior told himself forcefully as he padded over to the fresh-kill pile. _We always have, and we always will._ As he reached the pile, he realized that it was empty, the thought immediately followed by the decision to go hunting.

"Puddlestep!"

The gray tom looked up to see Brambleclaw bounding down from the High-ledge, followed closely by Emberpaw, who turned away to head back to the medicine den as Brambleclaw padded over to Puddlestep. The younger warrior watched her go, unable to stop himself from admiring the lingering shine in her tortoiseshell fur.

"Firestar has green-cough." Brambleclaw's words quickly snapped Puddlestep's attention back to his deputy and former mentor. "I'm going now to find catmint." Puddlestep nodded, and Brambleclaw continued. "I need you to organize the patrols for today. I'll be back in time for the sunhigh patrol, but the rest is on you."

"Yes, Brambleclaw." Puddlestep felt a glow of satisfaction as his former mentor left swiftly through the thorn tunnel. Brambleclaw had been doing this more and more often, almost to the point where they were splitting the duties of the deputy. _I can't let him down._

The sun was peaking over the trees now, and with the dawn, Thunderclan's camp began to stir. Ferncloud poked her head out of the nursery, sniffing the air delicately before shivering and retreating back into the depths of the nursery. Sandstorm emerged from the warriors den, followed closely by Squirrelflight and Crowfeather, all three joining Puddlestep in the center of the camp.

"Are you organizing patrols today…?" Puddlestep met Crowfeather's skeptical look with a nod, still unsure whether the short-tempered warrior was okay with him or not. It was hard to tell if Crowfeather liked anyone, except for Leafpool of course.

"Great!" Squirrelflight chimed, looking proud. "Can I take the dawn patrol? I need to _move_." Snadstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement, and Puddlestep purred.

"Sure. Take Crowfeather with you, and Lilypaw. She'll be missing training session with Dustpelt now that he's confined to the medicine den."

The ginger queen gave a quick nod before dashing to the apprentice den, and Crowfeather gave him a small nod before going to wait for them at the thorn tunnel.

"Sandstorm." Puddlestep turned his attention to his senior warrior. "I need you to take a hunting patrol. The Clan needs food." The ginger she-cat nodded.

"Who should I bring?"

"Cloudtail and Ashfur. And Ferncloud said something about a draft in the nursery yesterday, could you ask Hollypaw to see to that?" Sandstorm gave him a small nodded, and the pale warrior sighed, thinking ahead. They would need hunting patrols circulating all day, and still another cat for the sunhigh patrol, and an entire evening patrol. The previous evening patrol was just returning, Brackenfur at its head, followed closely by Ashfur and Eaglepaw, who both held fresh-kill.

Puddlestep purred. "That's great! Divide that between the queens and elders, please." A muffled meow of agreement was his answer, and he sighed. He couldn't very well ask them to do two night patrols in a row… _Guess I'll do a double patrol today…_ "Oh, and Eaglepaw, would you mind coming with me and Brambleclaw on the sunhigh patrol?"

"Sure." The smoky gray tom mewed, allowing Brackenfur to take his fresh-kill to the nursery for Ferncloud and the kits. "I may go back out to hunt until then, though…" He trailed off, his amber eyes falling to rest on the still-empty fresh-kill pile.

Puddlestep nodded. "The Clan definitely needs the fresh-kill…" He gave the younger tom a gentle head-butt. "I had the same idea. Maybe we'll see who can catch more."

Eaglepaw's whisker's twitched in amusement. "Sure, you're on, Puddlestep. Just remember, I'm leaving now."

The ashy gray tom shook his head, watching the smoky apprentice's tail tip disappear into the thorn tunnel. He would make a great warrior one day, and even a great leader, should the opportunity arise. _I would follow you, Eaglepaw, half-Clan or not…_

That thought echoed in his head as he made his way to the medicine den, curious on whether Tangleclaw's condition had gotten any better or worse since the day before yesterday when he had last visited.

"Oh, yuck! You can seriously expect me to eat this, Emberpaw…! It looks like caterpillar that got caught by a bird… to be fed to it's babies!"

Puddlestep purred as he entered, hearing his brother's ridiculous exclamations. _Definitely feeling better…_

"Oh, Puddlestep, thank StarClan you're here…" Emberpaw's relieved meow made Puddlestep's whiskers twitch in silent laughter. "Please make him eat these! Every time I try he either make some gross comparison or threatens to sit on me!"

Puddlestep rolled his eyes. "Really, Tangleclaw? Sitting on her?"

The ginger tom shrugged. "It worked when we were kits. She hasn't grown too much, and I have, so I'm pretty sure it would work just as well now."

Emberpaw's black tail-tip flicked in agitation. "It would not!"

"Would so." Tangleclaw teased, laying down and rolling onto his back to luxuriously stretch his legs. Seeing his chance, Puddlestep pounced, cuffing his difficult brother over the ears before gently battering his stomach with sheathed claws.

"Stop giving her a hard time." He meowed, hopping off as Tangleclaw fell into a bout of coughing.

"Yeah…" He agreed. "I suppose they do help a little bit…" With a resigned sigh, the long-legged warrior licked up the poultice, cringing at the flavor, before laying his head on his paws. "Yuck…"

"There." Puddlestep nudged Emberpaw gently with his nose. "Sometimes force works best. Never be afraid to claw an ear off, he doesn't use those anyways." The only response to Puddlestep's friendly jab was a disbelieving snort, and shortly afterward, Tangleclaw was asleep.

"Thank-you, Puddlestep, really…" Emberpaw looked up at him with shining blue eyes. "If he recovers, he'll be the first, and we'll know that the poultice we've been using is right…"

Puddlestep blinked. "The other's aren't getting any better…?" The young tortoiseshell shook her head sullenly.

"No…" Her soft meow was barely an exhale of breath. "Sootfur has black-cough now, and…" She stopped, her ears and tail drooping. "Cinderpelt has green-cough as well, and I told her to let me handle the worse patients, but…" She shook her head. "…I don't know what I would do without her…" Puddlestep felt his heart aching for the younger she-cat, and instinctively rested his tail-tip on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Emberpaw." He meowed. "Cinderpelt is strong. Stronger than any warrior, that's for sure. If Tangleclaw can pull through, then so can she."

Emberpaw looked up at him hopefully. "You think so…?"

The young warrior purred, bending without thinking and rasping his tongue across her ear. "I know so." With that, he turned and walked away, determined to at least get a little bit of hunting done before sunhigh. He shivered as he crossed the open clearing, pushing through the snow. _I wonder if the other Clans are having this much trouble… The rivers must be frozen over, and WindClan's hunting grounds are sure to be buried deep…_

Puddlestep shook the thoughts from his head as he emerged in the forest, easily falling into a lower crouch, opening his mouth slightly to taste the air. Hearing and smelling nothing, the young warrior moved on, until he came across the faintest hints of mouse. He dropped into an even lower, hunting crouch, pricking his ears and pin-pointing the small creature's position. One slow step forward… And then he pounced, easily dispatching his prey with one swift bite. The mouse was as scrawny as any other that could be found, but it was something, and the Clan needed everything it could get.

After a successful hunting trip, in which he collected not only 2 mice, but a skinny sparrow, Puddlestep made his way back to the camp, getting there just in time to see Brambleclaw and Eaglepaw heading towards the thorn tunnel.

"Good catch, Puddlestep, I didn't have nearly as much as that…!" The apprentice exclaimed. The young warrior purred, dropping his fresh-kill on the pile.

"I'll be right back." He told Brambleclaw. "I'm going to bring these mice to Cinderpelt and Emberpaw." He felt bad for the medicine cat apprentice, struggling to save the Clan and her mentor all by herself… When he reached the den, he was relieved to see her patiently checking over Sorreltail and the two kits—Ferncloud's son Nettlekit and Sorreltail's own Rainkit, who both were refusing to take their medicine.

"Now kits…" Sorreltail scolded them gently, her amber eyes glowing. "You need to eat these to stay strong…"

Emberpaw pushed the bitter herbs closer to the small kits, and Nettlekit growled. "They're icky!" Rainkit squeaked an agreement that quickly morphed into a fit of coughing.

"But Sorreltail's right you know." Puddlestep chimed in, crouching down in front of the two kits. "These herbs will make you stronger, and one day, that'll make you both great warriors."

Nettlekit seemed to consider that for a moment, every bit as stubborn as his father Dustpelt, before finally lapping them up. Rainkit followed suit, clearly wanting to do everything Nettlekit did to become a great warrior.

Emberpaw purred. "Thank-you, Puddlestep. That's twice today that you've made an unwilling patient take their medicine." The young warrior shrugged, pushing the mice towards the pretty tortoiseshell with a dark gray paw.

"For you and Cinderpelt." He explained quickly as her eyes widened. "You both need to keep up your strength. ThunderClan needs you." A shadow seemed to pass over her features, and Puddlestep began to wonder what it was that he said that made her feel uneasy. With a nervously twitching tail, she dipped her head in thanks, mumbling something about bringing one to Cinderpelt right away before picking up the plumper of the two and bolting for the back of the medicine den. Puddlestep stood there for a moment, truly bewildered. Finally, with a shake of his head—remembering that he had a patrol waiting—he shrugged it off, deciding to ask Emberpaw about it later.

With decision in mind, he rejoined Brambleclaw and Eaglepaw at the entrance, where they immediately plunged through the thorn tunnel and into the brittle, leaf-bare ridden undergrowth of their forest home. The snow was thick under paw, though no long drifting lazily from the clouds, leaving just belly-deep snow and icy winds to buffer their ragged fur. There was no doubt that ThunderClan was starving, Puddlestep realized grimly, pushing on behind Brambleclaw, shoulder to shoulder with Eaglepaw, who was easily his size—if not larger now. Slowly but surely, the lack of food and harsh, unforgiving weather was wearing away at ThunderClan's strength…

The young warrior's mind flickered back to his thoughts from earlier this morning. ThunderClan _would_ pull through. They would make it through leaf-bare, and regain their footing in new-leaf and green-leaf. The next thought sent a chill down the pale warrior's spine even as he thought it, though, bringing to mind the den full of sick cats and the images of his skinny Clan-mates.

_But how many will we lose before then…?_

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><p>If you're reading this, thank-you SO much for staying with me! I know it's been FOREVER since I updated, but think of this like an apology(: Hopefully, I'll be starting on (and finishing) Chapter 17, if not today or tomorrow, then next weekend(: Thank-you for reading (and even more for reviewing;P). Which reminds me—I need warrior names. 4 of them;) If you guys have any suggestions for Emberpaw, Eaglepaw, and Lilypaw, send them my way:P (Sorry, folks, Hollypaw is already spoken for) And as always, I'm eager to hear who your favorites are(: Lots of love3<p> 


	19. Uncertainty

Chapter 17!

Emberpaw woke with a start to the feel of something jabbing her in the side. Startled, she jumped out of her nest, her fur fluffed up and her blue eyes wide.

"Emberpaw, come quickly, it's urgent…!" The tortoiseshell apprentice found herself gazing into Sandstorm's frantic green eyes.

"O-of course," she stuttered, following the ginger warrior out into the moonlit camp. All was quiet, save the rustle of sharp wind through the dry branches of the forest. Most of the clan was gone, at the gathering with Brambleclaw, as Firestar had been too sick to leave. Suddenly, Emberpaw's heart skipped a beat. Was something wrong with Firestar?

Sandstorm seemed to notice Emberpaw's alarm, picking up the pace until they were running up the high-ledge, skidding to a halt by Firestar's side. He was curled in his nest, coughing feebly, trembling all over. The young medicine apprentice took a slow step forward, nosing his chilled ginger pelt. After a moment, the coughing stopped, and with a slight twitch of his paws, Firestar was still.

Emberpaw shook her head, pulling away. "He's losing a life…" Sandstorm shook her head as well, curling up next to her mate. "I'll fetch some herbs for when he wakes up…"

With that, Emberpaw spun and exited quickly, shaking as if she had been the one meeting StarClan. Quietly, as to not wake the green-cough patients, she gathered strengthening herbs, and catmint, wrapping them in a bundle and padding sullenly back up to Firestar's den. If there was one thing they couldn't afford to lose right now, it was their leader.

"Emberpaw…" Sandstorm whispered as she entered, dropping the herbs beside the ginger she-cat so that she could give them to Firestar when he woke up. "This… He's on his last life now…"

Emberpaw's eyes flashed, all of the knowledge of StarClan within them. "I know."

Sandstorm dropped her chin to her paws. "What am I going to do without him…?"

The young tortoiseshell shook her head. "You're not. As long as he's got breath in his body, I have no doubt that Firestar will lead this Clan. He's not going anywhere any time soon."

There was a quiet chuckle, and both she-cats jumped. "Well said, young Emberpaw. You're almost as wise as Cinderpelt now, aren't you?"

Emberpaw dipped her head, scuffling her forepaws in embarrassment. "Make sure he takes those, Sandstorm." She gave one last, respectful nod to Firestar before leaving again, making her way slowly back to her den. There was so much that Emberpaw wished she could do for her Clan…

_But how…?_ The small tortoiseshell sighed softly, pushing back into the medicine den, glancing back over her patients one last time before curling up in her nest, tucking her tail over her nose. _Firestar is on his last life now, and Cinderpelt is only getting worse…_ A faint bout of coughing reached her ears, and already restless, Emberpaw got up again, moving to sit next to her mentor.

"Oh, Cinderpelt…" She mewed softly, leaning to push her nose into her mentor's soft fur. "What would I do without you…?" And lying next to the older gray she-cat, Emberpaw felt like a kit again, scared, and uncertain of what to do next. _StarClan… If you can hear me, then please… Don't take her from me, yet… Don't take her away… ThunderClan needs her, and we need Firestar… And Sorreltail, and Dustpelt… _Her eyes slowly drifted shut, her mentor's familiar scent lulling her to sleep, fatigue finally taking its toll. _StarClan… Help us…_

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><p>Waiting his turn patiently, Eaglepaw couldn't help but to realize that crossing the bridge to the gathering island didn't seem to hold quite the same thrill that it used to. Instead, anxiety pricked at his weary paws as he stood next to Puddlestep and Lilypaw on the shore of the lake. The snow made it hard to distinguish one scent from the other, and even Brambleclaw had admitted before crossing the tree-bridge that he couldn't tell which Clans were or weren't there yet.<p>

"Eaglepaw, are you coming or what?"

With a start, the dark gray apprentice realized that Lilypaw was crouched on the edge of the tree-bridge, looking back down at him.

"Y-Yeah." He stammered, shaking his head to clear his mind. "Right behind you." Lilypaw nodded, before turning and making her way carefully across the bridge. The tom jumped up, following right behind her as he had said, jumping down carefully on the other side just as Lilypaw was shaking the access snow from her tabby pelt.

"Come on," Puddlestep landed lightly beside them, motioning the direction the other ThunderClan cats had gone. "We should stick close." Eaglepaw nodded, letting the pale gray warrior take the lead. Over the past moon, Eaglepaw had noticed that his friend had begun gaining respect from their Clan-mates. Brambleclaw was passing on most of his duties to his former apprentice, especially since Firestar had fallen ill, and Eaglepaw realized how much more he was looking up to the calm warrior. The best part, in Eaglepaw's opinion, was that Puddlestep seemed to hardly be aware of his popularity among the Clan, never letting it go to his head, or influence his decisions.

Eaglepaw sighed. Puddlestep was a great warrior, the challenge was to become even greater, in a smaller amount of time. As the 3 ThunderClan cats caught up to the rest of their patrol at the edge of the clearing, Eaglepaw was startled to see just how badly off the other Clans were. Though he detected only the scents of RiverClan and ShadowClan, they all looked so scrawny and underfed that no cat could have told them apart. Faintly, Eaglepaw could make out Leopardstar's now dull, dappled pelt in the Great Oak, and just a limb below her, Blackstar, his shoulders hunched and his ears flat against his head. Brambleclaw paused a moment, motioning with his tail for the rest of them to do the same.

"Be careful what you say tonight." He hissed softly. "They may be suffering just as much, if not more than us, but hard times can drive cats like Blackstar to desperation and war, so keep your news small and simple. If any cat asks, we're making it by, just as they are."

"And what about Firestar?" Cloudtail spoke gruffly. "What are we to tell them when they ask why Firestar isn't here?"

A distressed murmur rippled through the throng of ThunderClan warriors, and with a flick of his ears, Brambleclaw silenced it. "You are to tell them that he was ill, but recovering, and will be fit to attend the next gathering. We must not allow them to think our borders are weak, or that we are down by any numbers. Is that understood?" Mews of agreement echoed the deputy's statement, and with one last nod, Brambleclaw turned and led the ThunderClan cats into the gathering.

"Come on, Eaglepaw, let's go talk to the other apprentices." Lilypaw flicked her tail against his shoulder, and with a small dip of his head, Eaglepaw followed his sister to where a throng of skinny apprentices were huddled under a withering tree.

As they approached, the other apprentices turned curiously, and Eaglepaw's ears pricked as he recognized Rosepaw, her ice blue eyes seeming to flash as she saw him.

"Hey," Lilypaw greeted the golden-brown tom sitting beside Rosepaw. They both bore ShadowClan's scent, while the other toms, one a light brown tabby and the other with a pale silver tabby pelt, both smelled of RiverClan. "How are you?"

Rosepaw sighed. "We could be better." The tom nodded his agreement, as did the two RiverClan apprentices.

"If this snow lasts much longer, we're going to turn into snow rabbits…" He muttered bitterly, and Eaglepaw felt his whiskers twitch in amusement as Rosepaw rolled her eyes.

"You have to keep an eye on this one, Eaglepaw." The black and white apprentice gave him a playful nudge. "He's the master of 'if, if, if'."

Eaglepaw purred in quiet laughter, before shaking it off, turning to the golden-brown tom. "I don't think we've met yet," he apologized. "I'm Eaglepaw."

The ShadowClan apprentice dipped his head in return. "Talonpaw."

"And I'm Beechpaw." The light brown tabby from RiverClan spoke up for the first time, flicking his tail against his friend's side. "And this is Ripplepaw." They all exchanged greetings, save Lilypaw, who already knew the 3 toms. Their conversation faltered, and Eaglepaw realized that all of the Clans were reluctant to share news, much like ThunderClan. _They must be suffering as much as ThunderClan…_ He thought quietly, looking more carefully over the other apprentices. They could have been his littermates, their fur ragged and dull just like his own.

The dark gray-black apprentice didn't even realize WindClan's arrival, until Blackstar stood, yowling for the Gathering to begin. Eaglepaw turned his attention to the Great Oak, faintly pleased when he noticed that Rosepaw had abandoned her Clan-mate's side to sit next to him.

"Cats of all Clans!" Blackstar's summons rang again. "It's time for this Gathering to start." More quietly, to the other leaders, he meowed, "Who would like to speak first?"

Standing slowly, Leopardstar dipped her head. "I may as well." She rasped, gazing down at the cats of all the other Clans, her eyes flicking around as if to land on every single warrior of her Clan. _When did Leopardstar… When did she get so old…?_ Eaglepaw thought, a hint of distress in his mind, taking in the powerful she-cat's un-kept pelt, her eyes seeming to hold a lingering edge of sorrow.

"Mistyfoot had died."

Gasps of shock rippled around the clearing, and a few queens let out saddened wails. Mistyfoot was one of greatest warriors in the entire forest, Eaglepaw knew that much. _It's no wonder RiverClan looks so… worn out._

"She was lost to blackcough just a few moonsets ago, as well as Hawkfrost, Swallowtail, and Voletooth. They will be missed and honored by their Clan," Leopardstar went on. "And the new deputy of RiverClan is Blackclaw."

Eaglepaw saw the smoky black tom mentioned dip his head, and Leopardstar nodded to him, before stepping back and crouching low on her branch.

"That is all."

Blackstar dipped his head, before motioning Brambleclaw forward. The tabby complied, and instantly, yowls broke out through the clearing.

"Where's Firestar?"

"Why are you speaking for ThunderClan?"

"Are you the leader now?"

Brambleclaw took a deep breath, raising his tail for silence. "Firestar is still alive and well." He meowed strongly. "He was ill, for a time, but has recovered. He hasn't yet recovered strength enough to travel, so I will deliver ThunderClan's news in his place." The crowd seemed more approving now, as Brambleclaw confidently delivered his report, consisting of the news that ThunderClan was faring much the same as the other Clans—prey was scarce, but they would survive.

Onestar's report was much the same, though despite his experience as a leader, he spoke neither as strongly, nor as confidently as Brambleclaw. Blackstar spoke last, stepping forward to better see the cats gathered below him, and to better be heard.

"ShadowClan is struggling as well, but we are not coping."

Eagleoaw pricked his ears, curiosity bubbling in his chest as he felt Rosepaw tense up next to him. "What are you doing, Blackstar…?" She hissed under her breath, crouching low and gazing up at her leader with wide eyes.

"Rosepaw…?" Eaglepaw whispered, giving the black and white she-cat a gentle nudge. "What's going on…?"

"We have lost many," Blackstar went on. "Including Russetfur, Oakfur, and Tallpoppy." Yet again, sounds of distress were heard throughout the island, mostly the queens, Eaglepaw realized.

_That's right… Tallpoppy was a queen, wasn't she…?_ Seeing Rosepaw's eyes flash with fresh pain, Eaglepaw pushed himself closer to her, trying to comfort the young she-cat.

Blackstar paused, letting the crowd die down on its own before rumbling, "We can no longer survive on this territory." Eaglepaw's eyes flew wide. Was he going to demand land from the other clans? Before any cat could voice an objection, Blackstar silenced them with a flick of his tail, lifting his chin. "ShadowClan is leaving the lake." Rosepaw crouched lower to the snowy ground as the yowls of outrage exploded, questions flying left and right, objections being the loudest voices. ShadowClan's leader merely raised his voice over the roar. "My new deputy, Rowanclaw, is scouting ahead as we speak, and when he returns, we will leave. That is all." With a flick of his tail, the huge white tom leapt off of his branch, signaling for his clan to follow with a flick of his ears.

"I'm sorry, Eaglepaw…" Rosepaw mewed quietly. "Maybe… Maybe Rowanclaw won't return before the next Gathering… Maybe…" She sighed. "If he does, then… I guess this is goodbye…?"

Eaglepaw's jaw dropped. "But-! Rosepaw, why is he doing this?!"

The black and white she-cat shook her head, before gently touching her nose to his. "Goodbye, Eaglepaw. I'm glad we could be friends." The dark gray tom blinked, and she purred. "And don't forget to keep those rabbits on your side of the border, 'kay?" Talonpaw called to her, and without another word, the ShadowClan apprentice was gone, leaving Eaglepaw feeling like he had lost not a friend from another clan, but a Clan-mate.

The other leaders and Brambleclaw stood together at the roots of the Great Oak, the deputies, Ashfoot and Blackclaw close by, while Crowfeather, Cloudtail, and Puddlestep flanked Brambleclaw. The dark tabby tom mewed something Eaglepaw was too far away to hear to the ashy gray warrior, and Puddlestep dipped his head, padding away in Eaglepaw's direction. He paused a few tail-lengths away.

"ThunderClan!" He called, flicking his tail to summon the ThunderClan cats. After a few words with Brambleclaw, Cloudtail and Crowfeather joined the younger warrior, and Eaglepaw joined the growing group of his Clan-mates. "Brambleclaw, Leopardstar, and Onestar are staying behind for a few moments to discuss this… development. We're going home, as are the rest of RiverClan and WinClan. We need our strength and our sleep."

The cats around him nodded, Ashfur gazing proudly at his son. Eaglepaw glanced around the circle of cats. With Brambleclaw, Puddlestep, Ashfur, Crowfeather, Cloudtail, Sandstorm, Lilypaw, and Eaglepaw himself, he realized that ThunderClan had probably had the most cats there, between the four clans. But even so, he couldn't help but to also realize that his Clan-mates looked skinnier than WindClan, their pelts more dull than RiverClan.

_But we _will_ make it through._ He told himself silently as he fell in beside Lilypaw, following Puddlestep back to the camp. _Together, the four clans can survive this._ It wasn't a moment later that he found himself losing his willful hope, as he remembered, a nagging voice at the back his mind chiming in, _But we're not four clans now. We're three._ And suddenly, the gray-black tom didn't feel so sure.

* * *

><p>There! Oh lord… It's been sooo long since I updated this! If you're still reading, words cannot describe how much I respect your patience. Lol(: Really though, thank-you! I was reading over these reviews, thinking, "Wow, that's a lot of great warrior names for Eaglepaw, Lilypaw, and Emberpaw… I must keep writing this!" I was originally just going to leave it (I didn't really plan on finishing it) but reading this more recent reviews, and looking back over some older reviews, I remembered how much I enjoyed writing this(: Thank you all so much, for reading and reviewing, <span>I'mtoolazy<span> (lol), Emberfire, HoNkSiStEr, Starfrost of StormClan, brightpath123, Fireflame, WhatExistsInFalling, Bramble and me. Squirrelflight, Everlasting Immortal Wolfy, DarkTracy, Mewskull130! And special thanks to GakuenAlice01, for the constructive criticism, and great suggestions, you helped me decide not to give up on this story!  
>Wow… I sure talk a lot… Next chapter will be up later today! I promise~! Lots of love~<p> 


	20. Fear and Confusion

Chapter 18(: I know I said I would post this yesterday, but I got a little busy ^^' Anyways, here's Chapter 18!

Hollypaw woke up groggily as the sounds of many cats talking reached her ears. Slowly, she stood and stretched, before shaking the moss out of her fur and padding out into the clearing. With a start, she realized that the cats from the gathering were back, and raced over to meet Eaglepaw and Lilypaw.

"What happened?" She demanded instantly. "What's all of the commotion about?"

Eaglepaw shook his head, looking stunned, and Lilypaw answered in a hushed, excited tone, "ShadowClan is leaving the lake…! Blackstar said that they had sent a scout ahead, and that as soon as he returned, they were leaving!"

"What?!" The exclamation came from Tangleclaw, as he padded over, a frustrated looking Emberpaw on his heels. "They're just going to turn tail and flee because of a little cold weather…?"

Hollypaw saw her sister roll her amber eyes, before swatting the ginger tom's ears. Hollypaw felt her tail-tip twitch in faint amusement. Did the two cats know how obvious they made their feelings seem?

"It's not like that…!" Eaglepaw insisted, speaking for the first time.

"Oh? Then what's it like, Eaglekit? Do tell." Tangleclaw purred, crouching low to the ground.

"I don't think," Eaglepaw paused for a minute, thinking, and Hollypaw realized that Tangleclaw's verbal jab had gone completely unnoticed. "I don't think that ShadowClan wants to go…"

"Eh?" Tangleclaw sat down, looking utterly confused. Lilypaw rolled her eyes again.

"Does it matter?" Hollypaw mewed quietly, catching the other cats' attention. "It's the duty of a Clan leader to do what they think is best for the Clan, and I'm sure that Blackstar consulted with their medicine cat before making such a big decision… Maybe it's really best for them to leave…"

Tangleclaw snorted. "Good riddance." Only a moment later, a fresh bout of coughing broke through the ginger warrior's chest, bringing him to crouch low to the ground, his legs seeming to shake from the effort. Emberpaw sighed, nosing the tom to his paws as the fit subsided.

"Come on, Tangleclaw, that's enough. I told you that you needed to rest, didn't I…?" Her blue eyes were dark with worry, and edged with fear. She had told Hollypaw just the day before that Tangleclaw had been the first to come even close to recovery, but now it seemed he was right back where he started.

"But I-"

Emberpaw narrowed her eyes. "No 'buts'. If you ever want to get well again, you're going to have to rest." She gave him another nudge, pushing him towards the medicine den, following close behind him with her tail trailing in the dirt.

_Poor Emberpaw…_ Hollypaw felt her heart aching for her sister, wishing she could do something to help. _But I don't know the first thing about herbs, or healing… So I'll just have to help by training twice as hard to be a warrior…!_

The sun was slowly beginning to rise, by then, and Puddlestep padded away from speaking with Sandstorm to stand in the middle of the camp.

"Brackenfur, Brightheart, and Squirrelflight," he called, the three named turning to face him. "We need a dawn patrol." Brackenfur nodded, summoning the other two with a flick of his tail before heading out of the camp.

"A hunting patrol, too." Sandstorm mewed quietly, and Hollypaw perked up. "I'll take Hollypaw and Cloudtail. Between the three of use we're bound to catch something."

Puddlestep nodded. "Good." He then turned to Crowfeather. "Could you take the sunhigh patrol, later? Take whoever you'd like with you."

Sandstorm called to Hollypaw, and she obediently padded after her mentor and Cloudtail, out into the cold morning.

"I'll head down towards the lake." Cloudtail offered, flicking his tail towards the shore. Sandstorm mewed an agreement, and the white warriors slipped through the bare trees, silent as a mouse. His white pelt made it much easier for him to hunt in this weather, and his fur was thicker than most of theirs.

"I'll head towards the WindClan border." Sandstorm meowed after thinking for a moment. "You don't need me to hover over your shoulder anymore, Hollypaw." She gave her a fond nudge. "Where will you be hunting?"

Hollypaw thought for a moment. "Near the two-leg house by the ShadowClan border." She finally decided, flicking her ears in that direction. "The garden that used to be there isn't quite dead yet, so there might be some mice scuffling around."

"Good thinking. Meet back here at sunhigh." And with a flick of her ears, Sandstorm was gone. Hollypaw took a deep breath, before stalking quietly towards the ShadowClan border. It put a thrill in her paws when Sandstorm had told her that she didn't need to supervise her anymore. _That must mean we'll be warriors soon!_

Reaching her destination, Hollypaw froze. She had been right. Right underneath a snow-laden bush, was a mouse. Plumper than any she had seen in a long, long time. _Perfect…_ she dropped into a hunting crouch, praying that hunger didn't steal the strength from her limbs now, when she needed it the most. Slowly, pawstep by pawstep, she pulled herself towards the unsuspecting prey, until finally, she jumped, landing just shy of her target. Frightened, the mouse fled.

"Not so fast!" Hollypaw growled, jumping again, this time landing spot on, dispatching the small creature with a swift bite to the neck. Just from one kill, Hollypaw found herself short of breath. It was painfully obvious that this harsh leaf-bare was taking its toll on ThunderClan's warriors. _We can't take much more of this… StarClan, we need new-leaf…_

A soft sound brought the gray-and-black tabby out of her thoughts, her ears flicking as she tried to place the sound. It took her a moment to realize that as she stood there, that sound was growing steadily louder, until it morphed from a murmur to the definite sound of snow crunching under paw. A sharp bark echoed through the trees, and the apprentice froze. _That dog!_

Realizing that the sound was moving closer and closer towards her, Hollypaw panicked, looking desperately for a tree to climb that could shelter her from the vicious creature, like before.

_There!_ Destination sighted, she bolted, running as fast as her tired legs could carry her. She heard another bark, this one frighteningly close, and turned back to see the same huge dog just a fox length away from her. Heart thudding, Hollypaw turned again, willing her paws to bring her to the tree. Now she could hear its two-leg calling for it. _StarClan help me…!_

As she reached the tree, she jumped, claws outstretched to climb safely to the top. She hadn't counted on the trunk being slick and frozen, much like the ground. With a startled yowl, she slid back to the ground, before trying again to climb, sliding back every time, twisting her hind leg painfully on one of the roots. "No!" She gasped. "No, no, StarClan, I'm not ready to leave my clan yet!"

Giving up, she turned around, only to see a two-leg crouched down in front of her, cautiously reaching one huge forepaw towards her. Another stood a few fox-lengths away, holding the dog by a thick rope of some sort. Trying to seem intimidating, Hollypaw arched her back, hissing at the two-leg closest to her. It cooed something, its voice quiet, unlike the other two-legs she had seen, which had yowled and lumbered about.

It's big forepaw touched her back, and she flinched, lashing out with her claws unsheathed. "Don't touch me!" She spat, but the two-leg just cooed something else, sounding more like a dove than anything else, reaching forward suddenly with both paws and lifting her off the ground. Hollypaw thought her heart had stopped beating in her chest. _Don't drop me…!_ She thought desperately, sinking her claws into the two-legs brightly colored fur and holding on for dear life. The two-leg was very gentle, running its paw over her ribs, "tsk"-ing quietly as it lifted her up, trying to get a better look.

Taking her chance, Hollypaw thrashed out again, hoping to startle the two-leg into letting her go, but its shoulders just shook, and she could have sworn both of them were _laughing_. They started walking again, and Hollypaw froze. _Where are they taking me…?_ She struggled, to no avail, as she saw the shiny monster parked right on the border of ShadowClan territory.

"No!" She yowled, struggling desperately.

"Hollypaw!" She heard Sandstorm's desperate voice, and squirmed to look over the two-legs shoulder. Her hind leg was burning, and her claws ached, and she had never been so scared in her life.

"Sandstorm!" She wailed. "Sandstorm, don't let them take me!"

The side of the monster opened up, and the two-leg got in, bringing her with it.

"No! Hollypaw!" Sandstorm was running as fast as she could, and all Hollypaw could do was watch, her ice blue eyes wide with horror as the monster's side shut again, locking her in, and Sandstorm out. The monster roared to life, beginning to pull slowly forward.

"No…!" Hollypaw whimpered desperately. "Sandstorm…!" She pressed her paws against the see-through wall between her and her mentor—in between her and her _life_. She could see Sandstorm, still running, her sides heaving as she tried to catch up, until the monster suddenly put on speed, easily leaving the tiring ginger she-cat in its dust.

"Father…" She whimpered quietly, suddenly wishing that she was still a kit in the nursery, leaving her mother's side only to curl up against Crowfeather's gray-black pelt. "Mother…" She sank down, fatigue crashing over her, and curled into a tight ball. _I'm scared…_ She thought quietly, trembling as she drifted into an uneasy sleep. _I'm so scared…_ Her heart throbbed in her chest, and she couldn't help but to think desperately, _I want to go home…_

* * *

><p>Puddlestep sighed, glancing around the now-busy clearing. Brambleclaw had arrived only moments prior, heading straight up to Firestar's den with the promise that he would tell him later. The ashy gray warrior couldn't help but to sigh again, realizing that Sandstorm's patrol had yet to return, though sunhigh was now upon them. Crowfeather was just heading out, Ashfur and Eaglepaw behind him, meowing a small greeting to Squirrelflight as she and the rest of dawn patrol returned before leaving.<p>

"Sandstorm still not back?" Brightheart meowed, approaching the younger warrior. Puddlestep nodded.

"Yes, but the Clan needs to be fed. I'm about to lead a hunting patrol, after I drop by and visit Tangleclaw. Would you like to join?"

The ginger and white she-cat nodded. "Sure!" Her good eyes was bright. "I'll grab Lilypaw, Dustpelt's still ill, so we need to make sure that she keeps up on her training."

"It won't be too much longer until they're made warriors, wouldn't you think…?" Squirrelflight mumbled almost to herself, tilting her head, before shrugging. "I may go hunt, too. Come on, Brackenfur."

The golden-brown tabby hesitated, as if about to object, until Squirrelflight rested her tail on his shoulder. "You need to catch something for Sorreltail, right? Come on, at least then when you visit you'll have a gift."

Puddlestep's whiskers twitched in amusement before he meowed a quick, "Be right back" to Brightheart and headed towards the medicine den. As he approached, he felt a tingle shoot down his spine, and the pale warrior stopped. For a moment, he found himself wondering… Was he really going to visit Tangleclaw…?

The tom shook his head. _Of course I am._ He told himself, continuing towards the den. _Who else would I be here to visit…?_

Before he could answer his own question, a blur of dark tortoiseshell fur shot out of the medicine den just as he was pushing his way in, and he found himself almost knocked flat by Emberpaw as she rushed out.

"Puddlestep!" She exclaimed, her eyes shooting wide. "Thank StarClan! It's Cinderpelt! I- She needs catmint. We need it now, she… Puddlestep I have to save her…!"

The ashy warrior froze. "Cinderpelt…?" He inquired. "Is she…"

"No!" The small tortoiseshell lashed her tail. "I need catmint! Puddlestep, you have to go now and get some!"

Sootfur limped out of the den behind her, resting his tail comfortingly on her side. Puddlestep felt a prickle in his fur, suddenly hit with urge to give ill tom a good cuff around the ears. "Emberpaw…" He murmured quietly. "There's nothing more you can-"

The medicine cat apprentice rounded on the dark-furred tom, her claws sinking into the ground. "Don't you _dare_ say that there's nothing I can do for her! I _have_ to! Puddlestep-"

"I know." He flicked his tail against her shoulder. "Wait here, Emberpaw, do what you can with what you have, and I'll be back in a heart-beat." Emberpaw closed her eyes, pushing her nose into his fur.

"Thank-you, Puddlestep…" She murmured, her voice quiet and broken. Puddlestep was still for a moment, before leaning down and rasping his tongue across her ear.

"I'll be back." With that, he whirled around, racing towards the entrance, bursting out of the thorn tunnel and glancing desperately around. When Firestar had caught green-cough, Brambleclaw had to fetch catmint. _That's right…_ He turned towards the ShadowClan border. _The two-leg garden._ Without another moment's delay, he ran, kicking up snow as he went. He thought that he passed Sandstorm's pale ginger pelt, but wasted no time thinking about. _Catmint, catmint, catmint…_ He told himself over and over. He couldn't get Emberpaw's bright blue eyes out of his mind, wide with desperation and fear.

He was only a tail-length away from the remains of the precious herb when he felt claws on his haunches. He whipped around, claws unsheathed, only to see the familiar amber eyes of Sootfur.

"Sootfur!" He exclaimed, noting that the gray-black warrior's flanks were heaving with the effort. "What are you doing here?!"

Struggling for breath, Sootfur gasped out, "I won't let you do this to her."

"Wh-What?" Puddlestep wanted to yowl his fury at the sky. Emberpaw was waiting for him to get back!

"Emberpaw… I won't let you get her hopes up like this! You're only going to hurt her! Cinderpelt can't be saved! She's in StarClan's paws…"

Suddenly, realization hit him. _He's in…_ "Sootfur…" He shook his head. "You know that you can't-"

"Can't what?" The older warrior spat. "Save her from hurting more?"

"Love her." Even as he spoke the words, he felt an ache in his own heart, thinking of the pretty tortoiseshell that he had played with so frequently throughout his kit-hood. His den mate until she had chosen the path of the medicine cat… _Are you telling him, Puddlestep, or are you telling yourself…?_

Sootfur growled low in his throat. "Don't you _dare_ talk about my feelings for her. You could _never_ understand!"

"I could never understand? No, maybe not." Puddlestep growled. "But I do understand that as long as she says she can save Cinderpelt, she believes that she can. And if you loved her, then you would help her do so."

He saw Sootfur's claws sink into the ground, and briefly wondered if the soot-gray tom was going to attack him again. The last thing he needed was a fight with his clan-mate. When he was sure that the warrior wasn't going to spring again, he turned back to his current task, gently nipping off the few green leaves left. Emberpaw would need all she could get, even if she could save…

_No, don't think like that._ The ashy gray tom gathered the leaves into a small pile, bending to carefully pick them up, trying to ignore the faint, but still luscious scent. _If cat can do it, it's Emberpaw… And even… Even if she can't…_ He brushed past Sootfur, who still seemed stunned into silence, his gaze burning into the ground. _If she can't, then I'll be there for her, for as long as she needs me._

He picked up his pace, trying to lose all of his torn, confusing thoughts in the bitter wind as he ran. _Don't worry, Emberpaw, I'm on my way._

* * *

><p>Chapter 18(: Thank-you so much for reading, and thanks to <span>Cinderstar377<span> and Pearlfeather for reviewing! Hopefully the next chapter will be up today, and this is your last chance to have a say in Eaglepaw, Lilypaw, and Emberpaw's names, so if you have any suggestions, you can send them my way (though I'll warn you, I've already had some pretty killer suggestions, so I hope they're good;P) Until the next chapter!


	21. What if?

Chapter19(:

"Hang in there, Cinderpelt…" Emberpaw mewed quietly, pushing her nose into her mentor's un-kept fur. "Puddlestep is on his way… He's on his way…"

"…Emberpaw…?" The small apprentice jumped at the sound of Cinderpelt's rasping voice, immediately trying to hush her mentor.

"It's alright, Cinderpelt, don't talk… You need your strength, to eat your herbs, okay…? You can't give up…"

Cinderpelt looked up at her through knowing blue eyes. "Emberpaw…" She whispered, getting her apprentice's attention again. "You'll be ThunderClan's medicine cat, now…"

Emberpaw felt her heart stop. "No, Cinderpelt, don't say things like that… Puddlestep is on his way… He's bringing catmint, you're going to be alright…!" To this, the dark gray she-cat purred.

"You've done exactly what I would have done, Emberpaw… I couldn't be more proud. You'll save these cats… You will save ThunderClan."

The small tortoiseshell was trembling, her eyes wide. "But I can't do it without you, Cinderpelt…! I won't know what to do…!"

"You'll never be without me, young Emberpaw… I will always walk beside you…"

"No…" Emberpaw stepped closer, touching her muzzle to Cinderpelt's, only to gasp at the realization that the heavy scent of sickness no longer clung to her mentor's fur. "Cinderpelt…"

"Have faith, Emberpaw… Even through the darkest nights, you will shine…" Her blue eyes drifted shut, and Emberpaw's breath caught in her throat. "Goodbye, Emberpaw…" There was a moment of silence, a silence so overwhelmingly thick that Emberpaw thought she might suffocate.

_Cinderpelt…_ She pushed her nose into her mentor's fur, letting her eyes slip shut. Already, the warmth was seeping from the medicine cat's body, leaving Emberpaw feeling chilled to the bone.

Suddenly, there was warmth, the feeling of a body pressed close against her trembling side. "I'm sorry, Emberpaw… I was too late…" Just as Cinderpelt's death had seemed to suck the energy out of Emberpaw's limbs, Puddlestep's presence seemed to be filling her back up.

"Oh, Puddlestep…" She mewed miserably. "I wouldn't have… I couldn't have saved her… Not if you had been back a moon ago…" She felt the pale gray warrior's tongue rasp over her ear, soothing, rhythmic strokes that filled the young medicine cat with warmth. "She… She knew it was time…"

Puddlestep nodded, before touching his muzzle to hers. "She walks with StarClan, now." He murmured softly. Emberpaw bowed her head. She had never imagined life without Cinderpelt to guide her… and suddenly her mentor was gone.

"_You'll be the medicine cat, now, Emberpaw…"_ The memory made the small tortoiseshell tremble, and she felt Puddlestep press closer against her flank.

"Emberpaw…" His voice was soft in her ear. "Someone should tell Firestar. He'll want to know…"

"And Brackenfur…" Emberpaw whispered, taking a moment to imagine if she had lost one of her sisters, or even Eaglepaw…

Suddenly, she shook her head. _That's enough, Emberpaw… You're the medicine cat, now… You must be strong. You have to be strong._ "I'll go speak with Firestar." She mewed, standing up. Her legs felt stiff and heavy, like she had been laying there for moons.

"I'll go with you." Puddlestep stood beside her immediately, his eyes dark with concern. For a moment, Emberpaw wondered if this was something that, as a medicine cat, she should do alone. But the thought of facing Firestar alone with the news of Cinderpelt's death made the young medicine cat nod.

"Thank-you, Puddlestep…" She murmured, looking up at the pale gray warrior. "We should go now, to speak with Firestar…"

Puddlestep nodded, taking the lead as the padded out of the medicine den. Emberpaw followed him closely, secretly longing for his flank to be pressed against her own again, filling her with warmth on such a cold, miserable day. When they reached the High-Ledge, Emberpaw hesitated, taking a deep breath before softly calling, "Firestar…?"

"Come in." Their leader's voice was warm, and Emberpaw exchanged a worried look with Puddlestep, before the two cats entered.

"Emberpaw." Sandstorm purred, and Firestar added with a little surprise, "And Puddlestep! What can I do for you?"

"Firestar…" Emberpaw felt her news weighing like a boulder on her shoulders, especially seeing how far towards recovery Firestar had come. "I have some bad news…"

The flame-pelted tom blinked, looking confused. "What is it, Emberpaw…?"

Emberpaw took a deep breath, suddenly wishing that she had never come here to tell her leader. She could only imagine the pain when he found out that one of his oldest, closest friends had passed to hunt with StarClan. "It's Cinderpelt…" She finally mewed, bowing her head. "She's dead."

For moment, Firestar seemed to be in shock, before he suddenly bowed his head, grief clouding his eyes. "Dead…? Oh StarClan, no…" Emberpaw felt her heart aching for her leader, and for her own loss. Firestar was quiet for a long while, and Emberpaw wondered if he would ever speak again, until he stood, slowly, his tail dragging the floor. "Take me to her." He rasped quietly. "I must say goodbye."

"Yes, Firestar." Emberpaw turned, Puddlestep still beside her as she led Firestar down from the High-Ledge and to the medicine den, past the patients to Cinderpelt's nest.

"Oh, Cinderpelt…" Firestar breathed quietly, crouching down to touch his nose to the medicine cat's cold pelt. "What am I going to do without you…?"

"Come on, Emberpaw… We should give him some time…" Puddlestep murmured quietly, flicking his tail-tip against her shoulder. Emberpaw nodded, following the ashy gray tom out into the clearing. They stood there for a moment, in the snow, watching the Clan go about its duties. Squirrelflight, Brackenfur, Brightheart and Lilypaw were depositing prey in the fresh-kill pile, and though their catch was meager, it was food. Brambleclaw had had returned to his post in the center of the camp, organizing the evening patrol, and the dawn patrol for the next morning. Leafpool and Crowfeather were sharing tongues outside of the warriors den, talking quietly with Ashfur, and if Emberpaw didn't know any better, she would say everything was okay. But she knew better.

"Puddlestep, what if-" Before the small tortoiseshell could finish her sentence, There was a soft voice beside them.

"Let's move her to the center of the clearing," Firestar rasped. "So we may sit vigil."

Puddlestep nodded, moving away from Emberpaw and into the den to help Firestar. Emberpaw's words died in her throat, but the thoughts kept reeling in her head.

_What if Blackstar was right? What if leaving is the only way to survive…?_

* * *

><p>Well, it's been forever and a day since I've updated this, but I've had this chapter typed up and waited for who knows how long… lol. I had a review mentioning that too many cats were dying, and I was trying to figure out to fix that, when I realized that when I started this, I had a plan. And now that I've remembered that plan, I'm ready to continue! (: So… Thanks to everyone that's been reviewing! Especially to <span>xxSilverpawxx<span> and MewSkull130!

~And lots of extra love to all of you beautiful readers that are suggesting names! They're all so good, I don't know how I'm going to decide… lol.

And one more time, I have to ask… Sootfur or Puddlestep? Unless anyone has another suggestion? I'm killing myself over who to put Emberpaw with, and I'm about to let her be a good little medicine cat that doesn't have forbidden love… lol. Lots of love!


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